A Happy Year
by Peachy-Author
Summary: Tells about a good year for DK. He becomes the ruler and works on his relationship with Candy. DKXCandy chapter story! COMPLETE!
1. Ready To Rule

(A/N: This "Donkey Kong" fic is going to be different from anything I've written so far. Let's read and find out how.)

It was daytime during New Year's Eve on Kongo Bongo Island. Most of the island's inhabitants were busy making their resolutions for the new year. The bad guys, at present, had only one resolution: to finally succeed in stealing the Crystal Coconut. But in order to succeed, they needed a master plan, and so they were going to spend the day coming up with plans. So far, all they had come up with were plans that would comically backfire, 'cause most bad guys are known for and are really good at doing just that.

Meanwhile, Cranky Kong was making his way to DK's treehouse with the Crystal Coconut. He heard that DK got a new hiding place for the Crystal Coconut, to keep it completely safe from evil eyes. Perhaps DK's resolution was to fix the bad guy problem, and he was getting a head-start, which would please Cranky to no end. But he'd be completely pleased if DK was ready to rule. Well, given that he'd be keeping the Crystal Coconut in his house from now on, he must've been ready.

When Cranky arrived, he said, "All right, DK. What makes this new hiding place for the Crystal Coconut so great?"

"Check it out!" DK said, leading Cranky to his bedroom and motioning to his nightstand. Needless to say, Cranky was not the least bit amused.

"You call a nightstand a safe hiding place for the Crystal Coconut?! That's no place to hide it! Any bad guy could open the drawers, find it, and grab it!" Cranky exclaimed.

"Acutally, it _is_ a good hiding place for the Crystal Coconut. And no, the drawers aren't where I'm hiding it. You have to say the password to find the hiding place." DK said.

"A password system, eh?" Cranky asked. He thought, " _Hmm, that probably would've made it a little easier to keep the bad guys from getting at the Crystal Coconut. Why didn't I ever think of that_?" But then he said, "It had better be a _good_ password."

"Oh, it is. The bad guys will never, in a million years, guess the password. They won't even know where the Crystal Coconut is as long as it's hidden." DK said.

"Hey, maybe I can guess the password." Cranky said.

"Okay, then. You get 3 guesses." DK said.

"The password is... 'bananas'!" Cranky guessed.

"Good guess, but no, that's not it." DK said.

"I thought for sure that'd be it, knowing you. Okay, let me think... How about: 'Open sesame'!" Cranky tried again.

"Another good guess, but that's still not it." DK said.

"Give me a hint." Cranky said.

"The hint is: something a bad guy would never say." DK hinted.

"Well, that's not a very good hint, but I'll come up with something." Cranky said. He thought about it for a minute or two, and then he said, "I got it! The bad guys will never be able to say, 'I win'!" Cranky said, sure that he got it this time.

"Is that your final answer?" DK asked.

"Are you saying I still didn't get it?" Cranky asked, figuring that he gave it his best.

"Not even close." DK said.

"Fine! What's the password?!" Cranky said, really frustrated.

"The password is: I'm a pathetic losing loser who loses, so I should suck it up and leave the good guys alone." DK said.

"What kind of password is that?" Cranky asked, before he noticed that DK's words caused something to happen.

The lamp that was sitting on the nightstand started to rise, and right underneath it was a tall, silver cylinder, and part of the cylinder swung back, revealing a space that was big and wide enough to hide the Crystal Coconut.

"A good password that no bad guy would ever want to say. A bad guy would never want to call himself a pathetic loser in order to get his filthy hands on the Crystal Coconut." DK said as Cranky gazed at the nightstand in awe.

"You're right! K. Rool would never want to demoralize himself! And the hiding place really is perfect!" Cranky said, impressed as he placed the precious object into the cylinder.

"Yup!" said DK as he knocked on the table 3 times, which caused the cylinder to close, and it slid out of sight, until the lamp was touching the surface of the nightstand.

"I think you've proven yourself capable of ruling the island now." Cranky said.

"You think so?" DK asked.

"You've got the Crystal Coconut in your possession now. And it's so well-hidden that the bad guys will never find it! Plus, look at how well you flush the bad guys out... when you know that they're around." Cranky said.

"What about when I was going to marry Candy? I was going to let the bad guys run off with the Crystal Coconut." DK remembered.

"That doesn't count, 'cause you were in love and wanted to be married, especially since the bride almost married that mama's boy, Bluster." Cranky said.

"Okay. I guess I'm ready!" DK said.

"Atta boy! By the way, where did you get the nightstand?" Cranky asked.

"I got it from Amanda." DK said.

"Amanda? Who is Amanda?" Cranky asked, unfamiliar with the name.

"She's the author. She knows geniuses from other Worlds, and she talked to them about building the nightstand, since I needed a new one. And they did. It was finished before Christmas, and even though she was planning to deliver it when it was ready, she was busy for several days before and after the holiday, which is why I got it today. She's also the one who suggested that it could be a hiding place for the Crystal Coconut." DK explained.

"That's right! But DK had to be the one to come up with the password, and I told him that it should be something a bad guy would never say. Boy, did he come up with a good one!" I said.

"I know. I still can't believe he came up with it." Cranky replied.

"How about we get back to the story?" I said.

"This chapter's pretty much done. We'll continue in the next chapter." DK said.

Alright! Now that DK's got the Crystal Coconut well-hidden, he's ready to rule the island! But it's best the bad guys think the Coconut is still in Cranky's possession, for what they don't know won't hurt them. Villains, beware! Stay tuned for more!


	2. Resolutions Of Love

(A/N: Now the Crystal Coconut is safe and sound at DK's house, and no one can make it come out by accident, unless they know the password. I guess we should probably get on with the story.)

It was now nighttime on New Year's Eve, and all the Kongs gathered at DK's treehouse. They were having a party to ring in the new year, like they did every year. By now, it was kinda late, but no one seemed tired. This was the one night of the year where they felt they HAD to stay up, and that's what they planned to do.

But before they began the New Year's festivities, Cranky knew that apart from him and DK, no one else knew what had happened that morning.

"Before we begin ringing in the new year, you should all know that earlier today, Donkey Kong has the Crystal Coconut in his possession, and has proven himself ready to rule Kongo Bongo Island!" Cranky said.

Everyone gave up a cheer, and they were applauding DK, who was blushing.

"So, DK, now that you're ruling, what do you plan to do?" Cranky asked.

"Well, I know who will be ruling in my stead in the event that I'm unable to." DK said.

"Is it me?" Bluster asked.

"You wish! But the answer is no, not in a millon years." DK replied.

"Dang it." Bluster said.

"The ones ruling in that event are Diddy, Dixie, and Funky Kong!" DK announced.

Diddy would've argued, since he hadn't done a good job back when DK was first exiled to the White Mountains. But DK was still training him, and he'd gained some confidence since then.

Dixie was also surprised that DK had given her the job, but she wasn't about to argue. He deemed her and Diddy worthy, so she figured that as long as she and Diddy worked together, they could do it.

Funky wasn't at all sure he could do it, but if DK wanted him to, he'd do it.

Candy wasn't surprised that DK didn't assign her. She already had a job, working at the barrel factory. She couldn't do much ruling while working.

"Plus, during the year, we'll up the island's security so the bad guys can't go around causing trouble and making everyone's lives miserable." DK said.

"We can do that, and I'll help you out with it." Cranky said.

DK also suggested that the song he wrote for the time capsule they sent to the moon (back in "To the Moon Baboon") was the island's national anthem, to which everyone agreed to (except Bluster, but he kept his mouth shut).

"However, we'll worry about all that after New Year's Day. For now, let's celebrate the arrival of the new year!" DK announced.

Everyone immediately agreed, and so they began to party, which is what they wanted to do in the first place.

While most of the Kongs were enjoying themselves, DK searched for his long-time girlfriend, Candy Kong, hoping to talk to her. After finding Candy in the crowd, he told her that he'd like to talk with her.

"Let's find a quiet place where we can talk." Candy replied.

"It'd probably be outside. The weather isn't too cold, in spite of the snow." DK said.

So they donned their sweaters and went outside, where it was lightly snowing, and the weather wasn't too cold, but one would still need a sweater out there.

"What would you like to talk about, DK?" Candy asked.

"About us. Our relationship hasn't been going very well, and it'll only get worse if we don't do anything to fix it so it'll work out. The last thing I want is to see it end badly, and then we'll both be old and alone." DK said.

"I know what you mean, DK. I don't want that to happen, either. That's why my new year's resolution is to work on our relationship. I'll try to be more understanding from now on, and I'll try not to blame you for little things, 'cause I've done a lot of that lately, and I feel bad about it." Candy replied.

"My resolution also involves us, in a way. I'm planning to make time for us while balancing time with friends, and my duties as ruler of Kongo Bongo Island." DK said.

"Wait a second! Cranky said that you're keeping the Crystal Coconut now. Don't you still have to guard it?" Candy asked.

"It's safe for good now, so we don't have to worry about bad guys getting it." DK said.

"Did Cranky give it to you with a new security system?" Candy asked.

"Nope. The Crystal Coconut is in my new custom-built nightstand. It's got a perfect hiding place for the Crystal Coconut (not the drawers), but you can only get to it by saying the password. And if a bad guy knew about the password, he wouldn't want to say it, because it would involve calling himself a pathetic loser." DK said.

"Wow. So it's perfectly safe." Candy said after hearing DK describe the new security system.

"Yeah. But I'll still make sure it's okay every now and again." DK said.

"I see. Well, back to our relationship. We must really want it to work if we both made resolutions that involve fixing it." Candy said.

"More than anything, Candy. Remember when we all gathered for Thanksgiving? I said that while I was thankful for my family and friends, I was especially thankful to have you in my life." DK reminded her.

"I remember. And I said that I was thankful to have you in my life." Candy said.

"I was surprised that you weren't thankful for Bluster." DK remembered.

"Like I said, the day I'm thankful for Bluster is the day the bad guys actually succeed and take over Kongo Bongo Island." Candy reminded him.

"And as long as I'm here, the bad guys will never win." DK said.

"So I'll never be thankful for Bluster. Even though he did give me some good news when he gave me my Christmas bonus." Candy said.

"He's finally going to leave you alone?" DK said.

"I wish! Here's what he really told me. He changed my work schedule to a 40-hour work week. That means that I get to work from 9-5 Monday-Friday. Plus, he gave me a raise. And all this starts when I return to work on January 2nd." Candy said.

"Apparently, he's still trying to win you." DK said.

"But he's not going to win me. Ever. There's nothing Bluster can do to change my mind." Candy said.

"So if he turned into Leo Luster again, you still wouldn't go after him?" DK asked.

"Not when I'm planning to see our relationship grow stronger than it ever was. I love you, DK." Candy said, helping DK feel better.

"And I love you, too, Candy. I can't bear the thought of losing you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I have no intention to give up." DK said.

"Oh, DK..." Candy said with a loving sigh.

DK and Candy were oblivious to the others, who were still inside, counting down the last few seconds. However, the couple had perfect timing, 'cause they kissed as everyone shouted, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" The Crystal Coconut heard the words from its hiding place, and it made confetti rain down from DK's ceiling. Then everyone sang "Auld Lang Syne". The new year was already off to a happy start, which made everyone feel good.

Look at that! DK and Candy are planning to work on their relationship. That's a good thing, especially since Candy has gotten mad at DK more often than not during the series. Keep reading to see if they can make it work.


	3. The Party Ends

(A/N: This story seems to be coming along well. Not only is DK able to keep the Crystal Coconut safe from the idiotic bad guys, he wants his relationship with Candy to work. Let's keep reading and see what's going on.)

DK and Candy went back into the house to find the floor covered with confetti, and everyone still celebrating.

"Where did the confetti come from?" DK asked.

"It started raining from the ceiling when the clock struck midnight." Lanky answered.

"Must've been caused by the Crystal Coconut." DK said.

"I don't ever recall the Crystal Coconut doing that when a new year arrived, but who knows? Maybe it did that since you're ready to rule." Cranky replied.

"Probably." said DK.

And so everyone went back to partying.

At around 12:30 a.m., everyone started to feel tired, so the party was declared over, and everyone started making their way to their humble abodes (but Diddy disappeared into his room and went to sleep). As for DK, he had to get rid of the confetti that was caused by the Crystal Coconut before he could go to bed (and he knew better than to use the Coconut's power to clean it up). He got the vacuum cleaner out, but before he could turn it on, he realized that someone hadn't left yet. That someone was Candy.

"Candy? I thought you'd gone home." DK said.

"No, not yet. I noticed the confetti all over the floor, and I know that you've been trying to keep your house clean more often, so it's obvious that you'd want to get that taken care of before you go to bed. I thought I'd handle this for you." Candy said.

"Aw, Candy. You don't have to do that for me. I'll handle it." DK said.

"But I insist." Candy said.

"Really. I can do it." DK said, letting Candy know that he wasn't going to be lazy anymore. That was another part of his resolution.

"I want to help." Candy said.

"Okay, I guess I can't complain." DK said.

So Candy vacuumed up the confetti, and it didn't take that long at all.

"There. All done." Candy said.

"Good job, Candy, and thanks." DK said, giving his girlfriend a smile.

"You're welcome, DK. I'll drop by later today." Candy said.

"Later today? It's dark out." DK asked as he put the vacuum cleaner away.

"It's already New Year's Day, silly." Candy said.

"Oh yeah. I forgot." DK said, feeling dumb.

"It's okay. I'll come back when the sun is out." Candy told him.

"Alright." DK said.

The two shared a quick kiss, then Candy went home. DK watched her retreating figure until she was out of sight.

Once Candy disappeared, DK planned to go to his room and get some sleep, but then he remembered his nephew, Diddy. He didn't see where Diddy went, 'cause for all he knew, Diddy could've gone out and got captured. But DK would check the treehouse first. He ended up heaving a sigh of relief when he checked Diddy's room and saw the young monkey fast asleep in his bed.

"Sweet dreams, little buddy." DK whispered to Diddy before going to his own room, where he got ready for bed. As he crawled under the covers, he looked at one of the pictures on his nightstand. It was a picture of him and Candy hugging each other, taken the day they became boyfriend and girlfriend.

"I promise I'll help make our relationship work, Candy. I love you too much to lose you. If I lose you, I don't know what I'll do." DK said. Then he fell asleep, dreaming about Candy, and how much he loved her.

Over where Candy lived, the mentioned Kong was ready for bed, and as she got into bed, she looked at the framed picture on her nightstand. It was the same picture DK had. They had been so in love, and looking at the picture made Candy glad that she and DK wanted their relationship to work.

"I promise, DK. I'll help our relationship so that we're as close as Diddy and Dixie are." Candy said, referring to DK's young nephew and his lovely girlfriend. Then Candy fell asleep to dream about DK, her little love-monkey.

So when DK and Candy wanted to work things out, it looks like they're off to a good start. They don't want to end up old and alone, and I think Candy loves DK more than she let on in the cartoon


	4. How To Balance

(A/N: So DK and Candy are bound and determined to see their relationship flourish. Can they make it happen? I bet they can! Let's read and find out!)

When everyone awoke, it was a decent hour, and they were ready to make a fresh start, now that they had a whole new year ahead of them. As for Donkey Kong, he was happy about the new year, and he wanted to get started on figuring out how to balance time with his friends, his duties as ruler, and time to spend with Candy. Diddy couldn't help him, 'cause he went to go spend the day with Dixie as soon as he finished breakfast. Plus, Diddy was young, and he didn't know how to do that sort of thing.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"I hope whoever is there can help me." DK said to himself as he went to the door and opened it. To his good fortune, Candy was at the door.

"Candy! Am I glad to see you!" DK said.

"What's wrong, DK?" Candy asked.

"I need help. I don't know how to balance time with you and my friends with my duties as ruler." DK explained.

"I can help you." Candy said.

"So, where do we start?" DK asked.

"Well, given that the Crystal Coconut is well-hidden, you probably won't have to worry about the bad guys finding and stealing it. Then again, you've also got to help with fortifying the island's security." Candy said.

"Yeah, and the bad guys are probably trying to come up with some idiotic plan to steal it, but they don't know that Cranky doesn't have it anymore. Well, what they don't know won't hurt them." DK said.

"So we should figure out a way for you to divide all that time." Candy said.

"Let's get to work, then." DK said.

In a short amount of time, they'd worked something out. This week, DK would have lunch with Candy on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The following week, he'd meet her on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And so on.

"We should also have a date night." Candy said.

"How about we have two of them, on the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays of every month. One of those date nights can be dinner, or a movie, or both, and as for the other one... how does a moonlight picnic sound?" DK asked.

"Sounds like a good idea. As long as it's not too hot, or cold, or rainy." Candy said.

"Yeah. I was also thinking that we could hang out on Wednesday nights. We could watch a movie, or just talk." DK said.

"I like the way you think. Oh, and we should get together for our birthdays, holidays, and our anniversaries." Candy added.

"Anniversaries? I know about the anniversary of the day we got together, but what's the other one?" DK asked.

"The one of the day we met." Candy said.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that one." DK said. He'd marked the special days in his calendar, including the anniversary of the day he met Candy, but he momentarily forgot. Then he said, "We'll have to do something special for our anniversaries and birthdays. The holidays are usually handled by everyone on Kongo Bongo Island."

"Yup." said Candy, glad that they'd figured out a way to spend time together.

"Wait a sec! What if one of us has to cancel or something?" DK asked, having just remembered this important detail.

"If that happens, we notify the other ASAP. If it's sickness, that's understandable, 'cause we wouldn't want the other to get it. If something comes up, we'll work something out." Candy said.

"And you won't get mad if I have to cancel because of something coming up?" DK asked.

"That's part of my resolution." Candy reminded him.

"Oh yeah." DK said. Then he said, "Well, the days we don't spend together would be best for spending time with my friends. But I'm also going to use mornings to work on fortifying the island with Cranky."

"That's an idea." Candy said.

"So, we've got this figured out." DK said.

"I guess so." Candy said.

"What do you want to do now?" Candy asked.

"How about we watch a movie?" DK suggested.

"A movie sounds good. But which one?" Candy said.

"You can pick." DK said, leading her to where he and Diddy kept their movies (except for ones Diddy was too young for; DK kept those in his bedroom).

"Let's see..." Candy said, looking over the collection of movies. After looking over the movies, she decided to watch "Night At The Museum".

"Oh, good choice! Let's watch it!" DK said, and they watched the movie.

Looks like DK and Candy are off to a good start at fixing their relationship. Stay tuned to see if they can make it work.


	5. Plans In Motion

(A/N: Now that DK and Candy worked it out, it's time to put their plans into play. Let's see what happens!)

The next day was Monday, and Candy had work that day. DK knew that, of course, and he knew what time her lunch break was (that hadn't changed when Bluster fixed her schedule). And when it was almost time for Candy to go on her lunch break, DK made his way to the barrel factory to meet her.

"DK, you're right on time!" Candy greeted her boyfriend when she saw him arrive.

"I wouldn't miss lunch with you for the world! But I also marked the days we meet on my calendar, so I don't forget or anything." DK said.

"Smart thinking." Candy said.

"Thanks." DK replied, feeling proud.

"When you told me that your resolution was to work on our relationship, it sounds like you really meant it." Candy said.

"'Cause I do mean it. Like I said, I can't lose you. If I lose you, I won't wanna live anymore." DK said.

That told Candy that her love meant a lot to DK, especially since his relationship with Candy was happier than the first one he had, which had been doomed from the start. Even though Candy had gotten mad at DK a lot during the past, which made him feel bad, he still loved her.

"I know how you feel, DK. I can't say that I know everything your ex put you through, but I don't want this relationship to fail, either. I really do love you, even when I get mad at you. I've also come to realize that some of the things that happened weren't really your fault, and I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. And most of the mean things I've said are usually out of anger, so I never really mean them." Candy said.

"I know, Candy. But I forgave you every time you got mad at me. I can never be angry with you for long. You're the gorilla my dreams. Not only that, you're prettier and better than my first, short-lived girlfriend, if you can even say that Evelyn was my girlfriend, 'cause she was not the kind of girl any guy would want to call his girlfriend." DK explained.

"I know you well enough to believe you now. After Evelyn made you tell her what I'd gotten her for her birthday, I felt stupid for being friends with her." Candy said. (A/N: She's referring to the events of "Suffering The Consequences", my first fic for this fandom.)

"You couldn't have known, Candy. When I told you I'd been in a relationship before, I never mentioned Evelyn by name, since all I wanted to do after I broke up with her was forget about her and everything she did to me... and Diddy." DK said.

"Diddy felt her wrath, too?" Candy asked.

"Not in the way that I did. She was mad that I was responsible for his upbringing, and so didn't really like him. It was Diddy's 3rd birthday that she finally crossed the line, by giving him a juice box of Yoo-Hoo as a present!" DK said, feeling a little angry as he remembered.

The two continued to talk quite a bit as they had lunch, and they didn't get interrupted once. But all too soon, Candy's lunch break was over, and she had to go back to work, which didn't make them happy.

"I wish your lunch break was longer." DK said.

"Me too. But you know Bluster. He'll have my head if I complain about that. And who knows what he'll do if you demand I get a longer lunch break?" Candy said.

"Yeah, it wouldn't be a good thing for either of us." DK said.

"Well, we'll be seeing each other again on Wednesday." Candy said.

"I'm looking forward to that. Not only will we be seeing each other for lunch, we'll be spending time together that evening, too." DK said.

"See you then." Candy said. Before she went back to work, Candy gave DK a kiss and added, "I love you, DK."

"I love you too, Candy." DK replied, kissing her back before heading home.

And the rest of the month went by rapidly, and DK and Candy really enjoyed each other's company. In fact, they felt their love for each other becoming stronger!

Looks like they've made real progress in a short amount of time! I'd say they're on the right track! Stay tuned to see more progress!


	6. Valentine's Dance

(A/N: I'm really happy for DK and Candy right now. Anyone else? For those of you who are also happy, rejoice, 'cause it's time for another chapter!)

February was also starting pleasantly for the couple. They still enjoyed spending time together, which helped their relationship greatly.

Not only that, everyone on the island had been working to secure the island so that bad guys couldn't try anything stupid without their knowing about it soon enough. But now it was Valentine's Day, and no bad guys were planning to do something stupid today. DK would probably give them a thrashing as a Valentine, and no way did they want that.

Valentine's Day was exciting for everyone, because of the Valentine's Dance. The Valentine's Dance took place at the beach, and it started at sunset, ending at midnight. It was a night of romance, and fun (whether or not you had a date).

When DK checked his calendar, he discovered that the week Valentine's Day fell in wasn't one of the weeks where he met Candy for lunch on Tuesdays or Thursdays. But he didn't let that bother him. DK still went to the barrel factory to have lunch with Candy. Sure, he'd see her that night at the Valentine's Dance, but he wanted some time to spend with her before then.

"DK! I was hoping I'd get to see you before the dance tonight!" Candy exclaimed in happiness.

"You're not about to tell me that someone better than me asked you to the dance, are you?" DK asked, a little nervous.

"No. Bluster was asking me if I'd changed my mind about going with you, but I turned him down flat! I'm going with you, and he's going to have to get used to it." Candy said.

"That's my girl!" DK said, feeling relieved. Then he said, "I want to have some more time with you, so I thought I'd have lunch with you today as well."

"This is why I'm glad to see you. I brought a surprise for our dessert." Candy said, pulling a banana cream pie out of seemingly nowhere. But this wasn't like all her other pies. This one was heart-shaped, having been made in a heart-shaped tin.

"WHOA! I don't know if I can eat that pie! It's too pretty to eat!" DK said.

"I'm glad you like it." Candy said, smiling.

"Now I feel bad about what I got you." DK said.

"What did you get me?" Candy asked.

"I can't tell you. Plus, I'm not giving it to you until later." DK replied.

"I guess I can wait. After all, this pie is only part of your present." Candy smiled.

"Part of my present? I knew I liked you!" DK said, surprised.

"But you won't be getting it until later." Candy said.

"How much later? Will it be when I arrive at your place to escort you to the dance, or do I get it during the dance?" DK asked.

"How about when you come to my place?" Candy said.

"I can live with that." DK said.

They continued to talk about the dance as they enjoyed a romantic lunch together. But when lunch was over, they were reluctant to leave the other's side.

"We'll have to wait until sunset to see each other again." DK said.

"And that's not for several hours." Candy said.

"I'll see you then." DK said.

"Can't wait." Candy said, and they shared a hug and kiss before they parted.

 **Later...**

DK was watching T.V. to kill time before he had to get ready for the dance. At some point, Diddy returned home after spending most of the day with Dixie.

"Hey, little buddy!" DK greeted as Diddy entered the house.

"Hi, DK..." Diddy said, looking really happy.

"I take it you and Dixie have been having a nice day?" DK asked.

"You bet! She loved the bouquet of red and pink roses I gave her, and she thought it was sweet that I clipped the thorns off so that she wouldn't get hurt." Diddy said. (A/N: Who knows why Diddy picked the colors he did?)

"Did she give you something in return?" DK asked.

"Yup. These!" Diddy said, holding a small, half-full box of conversation hearts (yeah, Diddy and Dixie enjoyed some while they spent time together).

"Now I know you've been having a really good Valentine's Day." DK said.

"How about you? I know you planned on seeing Candy for lunch. How did that go?" Diddy asked.

"Candy was glad to see me, and we discussed the dance as we ate. Candy also made a heart-shaped banana cream pie for our dessert, and she told me that it's part of my present. I get the other part of my present when I drop by her place to escort her to the dance." DK said.

"Yup, you're both in love." Diddy said.

"I know..." DK said, obviously thinking about Candy again.

"Well, I'm going to get ready for the dance. That's what Dixie's up to right now." Diddy said.

"Yeah, it's almost time to get ready for the dance. I'll let you get ready first, though." DK said.

"Thanks, DK." Diddy said, and he disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower.

Sure enough, when Diddy finished, DK got his shower, and they finished getting ready for the dance, which would begin at sunset.

By the time the sun was setting, the guys were ready to go.

"I'm going to see Dixie, and we'll meet you at the dance!" Diddy said, and he left.

"See ya there, little buddy!" DK called, and he grabbed Candy's present before leaving the treehouse.

A few minutes later, DK arrived at Candy's place and knocked on the door.

"I'll be right there!" Candy called as she got done adding the finishing touches to herself.

Then the door opened, and DK liked what he saw. Candy was wearing a pretty red dress with matching sandals. She did her hair up in its usual style, and she was also wearing gold earrings set with heart-shaped rubies. She also kept her make-up light.

"Beautiful!" DK said, unable to take his eyes off of her.

"Come in!" Candy said, inviting DK in. He eagerly entered Candy's humble abode.

"I've got your present." DK said.

"And I've got yours. Close your eyes and hold out your hands." Candy said.

DK did as Candy told him, and he felt her place something soft in his hands.

"Okay, you can look now." Candy said.

When DK looked, he was quite pleased with what he saw. It was a tie that looked like his normal one, except this one was made of red silk, and the 'DK' logo on this tie was embroidered in gold.

"Wow! I like this tie! I really wanna wear this!" DK said. Then he asked, "Can I wear it to the dance?"

"Sure. Go put it on." Candy said.

DK went to Candy's bathroom and removed the tie he was wearing, replacing it with his new tie. He looked in the mirror and said, "Wow! This tie really looks good on me! Candy picked out an awesome present!"

When DK exited the bathroom, Candy said, "Wow! I thought that tie would look good on you, and it really does!"

"I love it! But where am I going to put my other tie?" DK asked.

"I'll hold onto it." Candy said, slipping the tie into her handbag.

"Thanks. Now to give you your present." DK said, handing her a black box.

At first, Candy thought it was a ring, but then again, the box wasn't made of velvet. Normally, rings come in black velvet boxes. She opened the box to find a gold, heart-shaped locket on a delicate gold chain.

"Oh my goodness! It's beautiful!" Candy gasped, pulling the locket out of the box in wonder.

"I already put a couple pictures in it... if you don't mind." DK said.

"Let me see." Candy said, and she opened the locket to see the pictures. On one side was a picture of a golden banana. And the picture on the other side was of DK and Candy, being romantic with each other. Candy was impressed, and she said, "Oh, DK! The pictures in here are perfect!"

"So I done good?" DK asked, feeling relief.

"You bet!" Candy replied, putting on the locket.

"And it looks good with that dress!" DK said.

"Come here!" Candy said, and she pulled DK into a big hug, and she kissed him passionately.

"Wow..." DK said when they finally pulled apart.

"I love this locket, but not as much as I love you!" Candy told him.

"So, shall we go to the dance?" DK asked.

"Let's go!" Candy said, feeling happy.

And with that, they left the house, ready for a fun night.

When they got to the dance, it turned out that pretty much everyone showed up at the same time. It didn't take long before Diddy and Dixie saw DK and Candy.

"Hey, DK! Does Candy like her present?" Diddy asked, hurrying over to DK and Candy with Dixie by his side.

"You bet she does! She gave me a big hug, and a kiss!" DK said with a smile.

"Dixie, look at the locket DK gave me! Isn't it lovely?" Candy asked, showing the locket to Dixie.

"Oh, it's beautiful! It's as lovely as the roses Diddy gave me earlier today. In fact, I'm wearing one right now!" Dixie said. Dixie had cut the rose's stem short, and now she was wearing it on her ear. It matched the pretty pink dress and pink heart-shaped earrings she was wearing. And she still wore her hair in its usual ponytail. She was also still wearing her pink beret.

"By the way, Candy, how does DK like his new tie?" Dixie asked.

"He wanted to wear it the second he saw it. In fact, he's wearing it right now." Candy smiled.

"You know, DK, your tie looks a little different..." Diddy pointed out.

"Candy gave me a red silk tie with the 'DK' logo in gold!" DK said.

"It looks good!" Diddy said.

"I know! Now you and Dixie have fun!" DK said.

"We will!" Diddy and Dixie promised.

And then the first of the love songs played, and words of love and adoration floated through the nighttime air. Most everyone started dancing, even though there weren't that many couples. But everyone still had fun, dancing while the sun continued to set, and before long, they were dancing under the stars. The weather was also good. It wasn't really warm, but it wasn't too cold, either. Everyone also enjoyed the snacks, like chocolate candy, chocolate-covered bananas, and conversation hearts (Candy also made a heart-shaped banana cream pie for the occasion), and to drink, they had punch and sparkling cider.

DK and Candy were having a wonderful time, falling in love even more as they spent the whole evening side-by-side. This was definitely a happy night for both of them. By the time the final song was playing, quite a few of the Kongs had gone home, but DK and Candy were still dancing. Diddy and Dixie had fallen asleep on a bench nearby, but they were sitting up and holding hands, leaning against one another.

"Oh DK, this has been such a magical night..." Candy said with a loving sigh.

"I know. I don't want it to end." DK said, giving Candy a loving look.

"Speaking of, what time is it?" Candy said, deciding to look at her watch. To her surprise, it was almost midnight!

"It's almost midnight!" Candy gasped.

"Wow! The dance is almost over!" DK said, surprising.

"Even if it wasn't over yet, I wouldn't have to worry about leaving anytime soon." Candy said.

"Because you're not Cinderella, despite being as pretty as her?" DK asked, making Candy blush.

"Well, okay, that's part of the reason. Bluster figured that you and I would dance the night away, so he let me have tomorrow off." Candy said.

"That's good. Not only can you catch up on your sleep, we could spend lots of time together tomorrow." DK said.

"I like the way my Valentine thinks." Candy said as the final song ended.

"Donkey-dude! I don't mean to interrupt, but the dance is over. You and your dudette might wanna head home now!" Funky called out.

"Oh! Thanks, Funky!" DK said.

"No problem, dude!" Funky said as he left.

Dixie was being roused by her big cousin, Chunky.

"Come on, Dixie. Time to go home." Chunky told her.

"Oh? Okay..." Dixie said, trying to wake up. But she followed Chunky home, and he was carrying Kiddy and Tiny, both of whom fell asleep several hours ago. (A/N: In my stories, I'm keeping Tiny in her look from "Donkey Kong 64".)

As for DK, he went over to Diddy and woke him up.

"What happened?" Diddy asked, noticing that Dixie was about to leave.

"It's time to go home, little buddy." DK said.

"Oh! Hold on a minute!" Diddy said. He hurried over to Dixie, and they gave each other a good-night hug and kiss before Diddy hurried back to DK.

When Diddy returned, he climbed on DK's back, and DK was ready to head home, even though he really didn't want to leave Candy.

"DK, you're forgetting something." Candy said.

"Oh yeah, you're holding onto the tie I wore when I got to your house." DK said, holding out his hand for the tie.

"That's part of it." Candy said, handing him the tie.

"Part of the tie?" DK asked, worried until he noticed that the tie was still whole.

"No, the tie is still in one piece. I just have something else for you." Candy replied.

What else are you holding onto?" DK asked, confused.

"You'll see." Candy said, motioning for DK to follow her.

DK ended up following Candy to her house.

"Wait here." Candy said as she went inside the house. A minute later, Candy came out with a heart-shaped banana cream pie.

"You made another pie!" DK exclaimed in happiness.

"Yup! This one is for you. And you can share it with Diddy." Candy said.

"I love you!" DK said, giving Candy a kiss before accepting the pie.

"I love you, too." Candy replied, kissing DK back.

Then Candy went inside as DK and Diddy made their way home.

Ah, l'amour! DK and Candy's love got even stronger on the most romantic day of the year! I sure hope it doesn't lose strength now that Valentine's Day is over! Stay tuned to make sure that it's still good!


	7. Lucky Or Unlucky

(A/N: Wow, that chapter had a lot of DKXCandy in it, as well as some DiddyXDixie! A lotta love! Might not be as much in this chapter, but we'll see what happens if we get started!)

The rest of February passed with no problems, and then it was March. By now, the weather started to get warm, but not as warm as it got in the summertime. Everyone was happy that it was almost spring, but that also brought the bad guys out. The worst part is, they decided to come out on St. Patrick's Day.

"Okay, this is the day we'll finally get the Crystal Coconut! We've got the luck of the Irish on our side, so it's as good as ours!" King K. Rool said to his henchmen, Klump and Krusha.

"Uhh, how do we have luck?" Krusha asked.

"Because I'm green, Klump is green, and you're wearing green! Green is a lucky color today, you idiot!" King K. Rool said.

And off they went to Cranky's house to steal the Crystal Coconut (not knowing that he didn't have it anymore).

Over at Cranky's place, the old codger was mixing a good-luck potion, and he was having really good luck with it.

"I knew that 4-leaf clover was good for something. This potion is gonna be lucky!" Cranky muttered to himself.

Just then, the door to his place was thrown open by Klump!

"What the-?! I spoke too soon! Or maybe the potion's not as lucky as I'd hoped!" Cranky said, unable to believe that the bad guys were back already.

"Alright, Cranky! Hand it over!" King K. Rool demanded.

"Hand what over?" Cranky asked.

"Don't be stupid! You know what I'm talking about! The Crystal Coconut!" the bad guy yelled.

Then Cranky remembered who he was dealing with, and what he did with the Coconut, so he said, "First of all, I'm not stupid. Second, this is _not_ your lucky day."

"But King K. Rool said that we have the luck of the Irish!" Klump said.

"Are you sure about that, K. Rool?" Cranky asked.

"YES! NOW FORK IT OVER!" the very angry Kremling shouted.

"Okay." Cranky said, and he tapped his cane to open the globe that concealed the precious object. Sure enough, there was no Crystal Coconut!

"What the-?! Where is it?!" King K. Rool asked in shock.

"I guess we're not that lucky after all..." Krusha said.

"Where is the Crystal Coconut?!" the big bad King K. Rool yelled.

"I don't know! It was in here the last time I looked. Someone must've stolen it when I turned my back." Cranky lied.

"Wait a minute! The pirates also want it. They must've stolen it earlier today! Let's go!" King K. Rool shouted, and they left Cranky's place in a hurry.

"Boy, did they get a shock! Little do they know, the pirates don't have the Coconut. Donkey Kong has it, and he's got it so well-hidden that the bad guys will never, ever find it!" Cranky said, laughing to himself as he got back to work.

Meanwhile, DK and Candy were having lunch together, and feeling very lucky. After all, DK was wearing a green tie, and the 'DK' logo was in gold, like on the red silk tie Candy gave him for Valentine's Day. As for Candy, her shirt was green, and she also wore green 4-leaf clover earrings.

"You look like you've got the luck of the Irish today, Candy." DK said to his girlfriend.

"You also look lucky, DK." Candy said.

"I'm lucky to have you." DK said.

"And the feeling is mutual." Candy grinned.

Just then, DK spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. He saw King K. Rool, Klump, and Krusha running by.

"What in the world-?! The bad guys!" DK exclaimed.

"The bad guys?!" Candy asked, turning in the direction DK was looking. When she saw them, she whispered, "You don't think they found the Crystal Coconut, do you?"

"They couldn't have! I'd better go stop them, just in case!" DK said.

"Good luck!" Candy said, giving him a kiss.

"That's going to give me all the luck I need!" DK said, and then he went after the bad guys with speed like Candy never saw before.

"FREEZE!" DK yelled, startling the bad guys as he suddenly appeared in front of them. Boy, did they get scared, because they knew that their luck (if they had any) ran out, and DK wasn't going to give them a chance to explain what was going on!

"Uh-oh..." they said as they saw the big ape standing there, getting ready to teach them a lesson.

"BANANA SLAMMA!" DK shouted, knowing that the bad guys just crossed the border into Hurtville. (A/N: Anyone know where I got that from?)

"Wait, don't hurt us! We don't have the-!" the bad guys started to say, but it was too late! DK gave the bad guys a banana slamma they wouldn't soon forget!

"COCONUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!" the villains yelled as they were sent flying through the air. They went crashing into their hide-out, and they were really sore, and not just from what DK did, either.

"I thought you said we were going to get the Crystal Coconut..." Krusha said.

"I thought we had the luck of the Irish!" Klump said.

"How was I supposed to know that Cranky lost sight of the Crystal Coconut?! More importantly, I didn't expect DK sending us back here without giving us a chance to explain!" King K. Rool yelled at his henchmen, obviously ticked off.

"Don't tell me we're going to go look for the Coconut again! I hurt all over!" Klump said.

"We're not going to look for it until we feel better. Maybe the luck of the Irish will give us a speedy recovery, though." King K. Rool said.

 **Back with DK and Candy...**

"So, did they have the Crystal Coconut?" Candy asked as DK returned to her side.

"I don't think so. I didn't see it on them. Then again, they didn't drop it when I sent them back to their hide-out." DK said, thinking about it.

"Well, if they were looking for it, then you prevented them from getting within 100 feet of it." Candy said.

"You bet I did!" DK said, feeling very pleased with himself for keeping the Crystal Coconut safe, even though it was well-hidden from evil eyes.

Okay, so the bad guys were the unlucky ones. Even more so, 'cause they weren't there when Cranky moved the Crystal Coconut to DK's house. Stay tuned for more!


	8. Let Me Help You

(A/N: The love between DK and Candy just gets stronger and stronger with each passing chapter! Let's see how it goes here!)

Late March wasn't much fun for those on Kongo Bongo Island, because there was lots of pollen in the air. So now everyone would be suffering from allergies, which made them feel sick.

On the last Monday of March, DK was sitting in the living room, watching T.V. when he heard the phone ring.

"Hello?" DK said as he answered the phone.

"DK..." the voice on the other end said.

"Who is this?" DK asked, unable to recognize the voice.

"It's Candy..." the voice on the other end replied.

"Candy! Is that really you? What's wrong? You don't sound so good." DK said, concerned.

"It's the stupid allergies! I've got a sore throat, and I'm all stuffed up. Thankfully, Bluster says that I can't work until I'm over this." Candy said.

"So, we can't see each other today?" DK asked, looking at his calendar.

"Not until I'm over this." Candy replied.

"Actually, we could still spend time together today, if I go over there and nurse you back to health." DK said.

"You don't have to do that, DK. I don't want you coming down with this. This is something I wouldn't even wish on K. Rool; it's that bad." Candy said.

"You can't catch allergies from someone who's suffering from them. Besides, I wanna help you. I love you." DK said.

"I can't argue with that." Candy said.

"I'll be over there soon!" DK promised.

A few minutes later, Candy heard a knock at her door. She got out of bed (she hadn't even gotten dressed), threw on her robe, slipped her feet into her slippers, and answered the door. Sure enough, DK was there, holding a bouquet of flowers.

DK was surprised when Candy opened the door. However, in spite of the fact that she looked miserable, was still in her bedclothes, and hadn't done anything with her hair, she still looked like the most beautiful girl DK had ever seen.

"Hello, DK." Candy said.

"You poor thing. You really sound sick." DK said.

"Tell me something I don't know..." Candy moaned.

"Okay. In spite of how you look right now, you're still the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." DK said, sure that Candy didn't know that.

"I am?" Candy asked, surprised.

"Yes." DK said. Then he remembered the flowers, and he said, "These are for you."

"For me? Thanks, DK. They're lovely." Candy said as she went to get a vase for the flowers.

"Not as lovely as you. In fact, you should get back to bed." DK said.

"I'll put these in a vase before I go back to bed. You can get me a glass of juice." Candy said, finding a vase and putting water in it before she put the flowers in. While she did this, DK pulled a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with orange juice. Then he followed Candy to her room, where she set the vase on her nightstand before slipping back under the covers of her bed.

DK handed her the glass of juice once she was settled.

"Thank you." Candy said, slowly sipping the juice.

DK stayed there for the rest of the day, getting Candy whatever she needed. Candy was happy that DK cared about her that much, but she didn't want him to think that she was taking advantage of him, 'cause she wasn't.

"You seem okay with helping me." Candy said at one point when DK brought her medicine into the room.

"You're my girl. I'm happy to help you." DK said as Candy took her medicine.

"I love you so much. If I wasn't sick, I'd kiss you for that." Candy said.

"Anyway, I know you're thinking that you're taking advantage of me, but you're not. If helping you means you'll get better faster, I'll do it." DK said.

Candy fell back into her bed with a happy smile.

"I'll never figure out what I did to deserve you." Candy said.

"We were just very lucky." DK said.

That night, Candy told DK that he could go home.

"You don't want me to stay here throughout the night and help you?" DK asked.

"I'll be asleep. Not much for you to do during that time." Candy said.

"Okay. I'll go. But I'll be back tomorrow." DK said.

"DK, I'm feeling well enough to take care of myself tomorrow. You've done more than enough for me." Candy assured him.

"All right. I'll go now so you can sleep." DK said. He gave Candy a quick kiss.

"Sweet dreams, Candy." DK said.

"Good night, DK." Candy said as she snuggled under the covers, ready to go to sleep.

Then DK left the house.

On Saturday, Candy was feeling better, and she was happy to be better at last. But then her phone rang, and it was DK.

"I don't feel very good." DK said on the other end of the phone, and he didn't sound too good.

"You're suffering from allergies?" Candy guessed.

"But I didn't get it from you. Remember, you can't catch allergies from someone who's suffering from them. Last night, my throat wasn't feeling great, and when I woke up, it hurt so bad that I couldn't talk. Diddy gave me a cough drop and some juice about 30 minutes ago, so I can talk now, but my throat is still sore. Not only that, I'm completely stuffed up." DK groaned.

"Since it's the weekend, and I'm feeling better, allow me to return the favor." Candy said.

"What?" DK asked.

"I'm going to come over there and nurse you back to health, like you wanted to do for me." Candy replied.

"You don't have to do that. Diddy's got that handled. Besides, you just got better." DK said.

"Then I'll help him help you. Anyway, I wouldn't be a good girlfriend if I didn't help you like you did me." Candy said.

"Okay, I guess he'll appreciate the help. But I don't want you to think that you're a bad girlfriend. You're the best I've ever had, and the only one I want." DK gave in.

"I'll be over shortly." Candy said.

Candy was there within a few minutes, and she knocked on the door.

"Who could that be?" Diddy said as he went to get the door.

When he saw Candy, he said, "Candy, what brings you here?"

"DK didn't tell you that I was coming?" Candy asked.

"No." Diddy said.

"Oh well. I'm here to help you nurse him back to health." Candy said.

"Really? Well, I'd appreciate the help." Diddy said.

The two worked together all day, helping DK feel better. Candy also came over on Sunday to help again.

On Monday, Candy had to go back to work. But a few days later, DK was feeling better, and he and Candy were able to get back to meeting each other for lunch and stuff. And neither of them had a relapse, because a relapse is no fun. (A/N: I should know; I had my allergies relapse almost twice in a month, and it sucked!)

But DK and Candy were willing to take care of each other when the other was ill, which shows how much they love each other. You'll have to stay tuned to see more of their love!


	9. Staying The Night

(A/N: DK and Candy's relationship is definitely going to get stronger in this chapter! You'll wanna read in order to find out how.)

In April, the weather was getting cold again, because it was raining quite a bit. Still, it was to be expected, for the old saying goes, 'April showers bring May flowers'. And the Kongs had taken to keeping umbrellas close at hand, just in case. But even so, there would be times when the rain was a bit much for an umbrella.

One Wednesday night, Candy had been hanging out at DK's treehouse, and they talked. Then Candy checked her watch and was surprised when she saw what time it was.

"It's already 9:30! I gotta get home!" Candy exclaimed.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" DK said.

But right when Candy opened the door, it started to rain. It was a very hard and drenching rain, complete with thunder and lightning.

"Umbrella or no umbrella, there's NO WAY I'm letting you go home in that weather!" DK said.

"And I really don't want to be out in that kind of weather. I was once, and even though I had an umbrella, I still ended up completely drenched." Candy said.

"Well, you know what they say..." DK started.

"I know what they say about April showers." Candy told him.

"Actually, I was gonna say, 'When it rains, it pours'." DK said.

"Oh yeah. That's another saying about rain. And you're right. It's pouring like mad." Candy said.

"So it's decided. You're staying here tonight." DK said.

"Where am I gonna sleep?" Candy asked.

"You can have my bed. I put clean sheets on it earlier today." DK replied.

"Were you planning on me spending the night?" Candy asked, hoping he wasn't.

"No. I forgot to change the sheets on Monday, and I didn't remember until last night. And I didn't know that the weather was going to be this bad tonight." DK said, leading Candy to his bedroom.

"Okay. But where are you going to sleep? I know that you're letting me have your bed, but I'd rather not sleep with anyone until I'm married." Candy said.

"I know how you feel. I'm not going to sleep with you. I'd rather save that for when we're married. _If_ we get married." DK said, blushing at the thought of being married to Candy. Then he added, "I'll just grab my sleeping bag and go sleep in Diddy's room tonight."

"Any particular reason why you'll be sleeping in Diddy's room?" Candy asked.

"Diddy often has trouble sleeping during storms like this one." DK explained, opening the door to his bedroom.

(A/N: Diddy's astraphobia is an element from **DiddyKF1** 's fics. He has granted me permission to use that in my story.)

Right after he said that, a bright streak of lightning was seen outside, followed by a very loud clap of thunder. Sure enough, there was a scream from Diddy's room, and Diddy raced out of his room and latched onto DK, obviously very scared.

"I see what you mean." Candy said, feeling bad for Diddy.

"You go get some sleep. I'm gonna be up for a little while longer; you know, to comfort Diddy." DK said.

"Understood. However, I have to be up at 7:00, 'cause I have work in the morning." Candy reminded DK.

"Alright." DK said, and he entered the room, turned on his lamp and set his alarm clock for 7:00 a.m. Then DK said, "That should help."

"Thanks! Good night, my little love-monkey." Candy said as she hugged DK.

"I'll see you in the morning, gorilla my dreams." DK replied as he hugged her back.

Then they shared a good night kiss, but before Candy went to bed, she turned to Diddy, who was still clinging to DK, and said, "Sweet dreams, Diddy."

"Thanks!" Diddy squeaked out, still upset by the storm.

DK picked up his nephew and carried him out to the living room.

"What about your sleeping bag?" Candy asked DK.

"Diddy and I may just bed down on the couch tonight instead." DK replied.

"Oh." Candy said. Knowing that she needed to get to sleep now, Candy quietly closed the door, then approached DK's bed. She slipped off her sandals, then crawled under the covers, turning off the lamp and falling asleep shortly thereafter.

As for DK and Diddy, they sat on the couch in the living room, and DK was doing his absolute best to soothe Diddy into feeling safe and secure. He finally felt better around 10:45, when the storm was losing strength. By then, DK knew he didn't need his sleeping bag. Diddy had fallen asleep right there in DK's arms. So DK grabbed the blanket that he kept by the couch, and covered himself and Diddy with it. Then DK fell asleep himself.

The next morning, at 7:00 a.m., the storm was gone, and the sun was shining.

By that time, Candy heard an alarm going off. It wasn't her alarm clock, and as she shut off the alarm, she knew she wasn't in her room at home. Then the events of last night came back to her, and she said to herself, "Oh yeah..." She remembered that it had rained too hard for her to go home last night, and DK let her sleep in his bed.

"That was really sweet of him." Candy said as she got out of bed and slipped her feet into her sandals. Then she made the bed for DK, saving him the trouble.

When she came out of DK's room, she saw DK and Diddy sleeping on the couch, and she noticed that Diddy was safe and secure in DK's embrace.

" _Oh, isn't that cute_?" Candy thought as she watched the duo. She knew that if she was home, this was the time she'd start fixing breakfast.

"I should fix breakfast for DK and Diddy as well. Let's see..." Candy said. She found that DK had the ingredients for pancakes, and so that's what she decided to make for breakfast.

As she mixed the batter, she looked out the window and saw a big, beautiful rainbow in the sky, the only hint of the storm that had happened last night. The sight made Candy feel a lot happier, and she was quietly humming "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" as she worked.

Before long, DK and Diddy caught the sweet aroma of pancakes, and that was enough to wake them up.

"Pancakes! But who...?" DK said, and then he and Diddy both noticed Candy over by the stove, fixing pancakes.

"Candy's fixing breakfast!" Diddy said, quite surprised.

Candy heard the boys, and when she looked to see that they were awake, she smiled at them and said, "Morning, boys!"

"Good day, sunshine!" DK replied, really surprised.

"Did you sleep well?" Candy asked, turning her attention back to the pancakes.

"Yeah!" DK and Diddy said in unison. Then DK said, "And you? Did you sleep well, Candy?"

"Yes, I did." Candy replied.

In no time, Candy had breakfast ready. She'd fixed 9 pancakes in all, so they got 3 pancakes each, and after buttering the pancakes, she sliced up some bananas and set the slices on the top pancake. Then she added the maple syrup.

"Okay, breakfast is ready!" Candy said.

"Not yet..." DK said.

Candy was confused, but then she slapped herself when she saw DK getting out 3 glasses, which he filled with banana juice.

"How could I forget about drinks?" Candy asked.

"It's okay, Candy. It happens." DK said to his girlfriend as they sat down at the table with Diddy, who was ready to get at his pancakes right now.

"Go ahead, Diddy." Candy said, seeing how eager he was to eat his pancakes.

"Thank you!" Diddy replied, and he immediately started eating his breakfast. He was finished with his pancakes by the time DK and Candy were half-done.

"Wow! Those were good! Thanks, Candy." Diddy said.

"You're welcome, Diddy." Candy said with a smile.

"He's right, you know." DK said, after swallowing another bite.

"Thanks, DK." Candy said, glad that the boys liked her pancakes. Then again, they knew that she was good at cooking, since they loved her banana cream pies.

By the time breakfast was over, it was 8:40.

"I've got to get to work." Candy said.

"I'll handle the dishes, and later, I'll meet you for lunch." DK promised.

"See you, then." Candy said, and she and DK gave each other a kiss before Candy made her way to the barrel factory, ready for another day of work.

"See ya." DK said, watching Candy's retreating figure until she was out of sight. Then he went to go do the dishes.

As he worked, DK couldn't help thinking how he, Diddy, and Candy seemed a lot like a family this morning. For years, it was just him and Diddy. But having Candy there seemed to make things... complete. It would probably be that way more often if they actually had gotten married, but DK wasn't sure if he was ready to try again. He wanted to wait until he and Candy were lost in love before doing anything big. (A/N: For those of you who haven't seen the cartoon, DK and Candy almost got married in the episode "Four Weddings and a Coconut", but they were never pronounced husband and wife.)

Whoo, what a chapter! Plus, DK did get a sneak-peek of how things might be if he and Candy get married. If they can keep their relationship that strong.


	10. Mother's Day

(A/N: Wow, that last chapter was pretty interesting! Let's see what happens in this one!)

When the month of May arrived, the weather had warmed up more than it had in April, and everything was pleasant, except when K. Rool and his cronies recovered from their last attempt to get the Crystal Coconut, but they gave up after a trap on the island sent them back to their hide-out.

Anyway, it was now Mother's Day. DK had sent a card to his own mom, and she called him to thank him for it.

"I just wish Diddy's parents hadn't gone missing. He hasn't really been able to celebrate Mother's Day or Father's Day with them. Sure, Diddy gives me a card for Father's Day every year, but it's not the same." DK said as he spoke with his mom on the phone.

"Well, he sees you as a father figure, and I think it's sweet. And I'm pretty sure that he really wants to celebrate Mother's Day. Maybe he's come to think of your girlfriend as a mother figure." DK's mother said.

"You mean Candy?" DK asked.

"You once said that she's very fond of little Diddy. And Evelyn wasn't even the least bit fond of him." DK's mom reminded him.

"I know, but I don't know if he thinks of Candy as a mom." DK replied.

"She's been in your life for quite a while." DK's mom said.

"I know. But she and I aren't even married yet." DK said.

"Are you saying you popped the question?" his mom asked.

"No! I mean... no. Well, there was that time last year when she asked me, but when we were about to be married, King K. Rool started making off with the Crystal Coconut. My job was to go after it, but I didn't want to go after it until Candy and I were married. Candy changed her mind about getting married then, so I went to retrieve the Coconut." DK explained.

"Oh. Well, when you do plan to marry her, let me know." DK's mom said.

"I'll let you know. Happy Mother's Day, Mom." DK said.

"Thank you, sweetie." DK's mom replied.

Then they hung up.

"I'd better see how Diddy's doing. He usually feels pretty bad on Mother's Day, since he doesn't have a mom." DK said, and he went to Diddy's room.

Diddy was sitting at his desk, working on something, although he looked rather nervous.

"(sigh) There's no way she's going to appreciate this." Diddy said as he looked at what he was working on, nervousness evident in his voice.

"Who's not going to appreciate what?" DK asked.

"DK!" Diddy gasped, quickly slamming a notebook over the thing that made him feel so nervous.

"Is something wrong?" DK asked.

"N-no! Nothing's wrong! Everything's just fine!" Diddy replied, still nervous.

"Are you sure about that?" DK asked.

Diddy knew that he couldn't keep it from his uncle for long.

"No! I'm a nervous wreck!" Diddy burst out, very upset.

"What's the matter?" DK asked, walking over to Diddy's desk.

"I-it's... stupid..." Diddy replied, wishing he was better at hiding his nervousness.

"Diddy, you know you can tell me anything, no matter how stupid it may seem." DK assured his nephew.

"Okay..." Diddy said. He slowly lifted the notebook off of the object he'd been working on, and then DK saw what had Diddy so nervous.

Diddy had been working on a Mother's Day card, and it looked better than the one DK picked out for his own mother. Then again, that's because Diddy had made it himself, and anything you make is better than anything you can pick out in a store.

"Oh, that's a pretty Mother's Day card. Who is it for?" DK asked.

"(gulp)... Candy..." Diddy replied.

"You made it for Candy?" DK said, thinking about the conversation he'd had with his mother a few minutes ago.

"Y-yes. I-it's just that... you and Candy... have been together from... the time I was young. She's been a part... of my own life... since you met her. She's the closest... I have to a mom... and I've... kind of been... thinking of her... as something of a mom... to me." Diddy said, feeling embarrassed.

"Awwww! That's really sweet! And I bet Candy would think so, too, if she knew that you think of her that way." DK said.

"No way! I can't tell her that!" Diddy screamed.

"And why not?" DK asked.

"I'm not good at that sort of thing!" Diddy said.

"Nonsense! You don't have trouble telling me that I'm like a father to you." DK said.

"But that's because you've raised me since my parents disappeared! I'm used to telling you that!" Diddy said.

"I've noticed that you don't seem to mind talking to Candy every now and again." DK said.

"Yeah, but never once have we mentioned anything about feeling like family to one another." Diddy said.

"Come on. You can talk to Candy." DK said.

"Can't you tell her for me? I don't think I could do it." Diddy said.

"It would mean more coming from you." DK said.

"Oh... okay..." Diddy said.

So Diddy grabbed his card, and they made their way to Candy's house.

When they got there, DK knocked on the door.

"Be right there!" Candy said.

Then Candy opened the door, and she was surprised to see DK and Diddy there.

"DK! Diddy! What brings you here?" Candy asked.

"Diddy has something to tell you." DK said.

Diddy was more nervous than he had been, but DK whispered, "It's okay, little buddy. Candy's gonna be pleased."

"This... is for... for you..." Diddy said, handing Candy the card he made, not looking at Candy.

Candy took the card and looked it over.

"You made me a Mother's Day card?" Candy asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Y-yes... (sigh) You probably remember that I... I don't really have a mom... because my parents... disappeared... when I was young, and... DK's been raising me... ever since." Diddy started, very nervous.

"Yes..." Candy said.

"Well... ever since you and DK... got together...while I was still... pretty young... you've been a part of my life... and... I've kinda sorta... been thinking of you as a mom... and you're the closest I have to... a mom... You know? Please don't think bad of me!" Diddy said, feeling like he could faint from nervousness.

Boy, was Candy ever surprised! Hearing that Diddy thought of her as a mom made her emotional. With tears in her eyes, she pulled Diddy into a tight hug.

"You sweet child! How can I think bad of you after a speech like that? And come to think of it, there are times where I've felt that you're like a son to me." Candy replied when she was able to speak.

Diddy was relieved, and glad that Candy thought of him the way DK did, as a son.

Awwww, I think I kinda went overboard with the sweetness, but I could not resist! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Anniversary Of Love

(A/N: Wow, we've already reached 11 chapters?! That's amazing! And perhaps this chapter will be as sweet as the one that came before it! Let's read it and find out!)

It was a bright and sunny day in May. The weather was fine, and everyone was happy. But no one was as happy as Donkey Kong and his girlfriend, Candy. You see, this was the anniversary of the day they became boyfriend and girlfriend. So this was a very special day for them. However, today was Friday, so Candy had to work. DK would be meeting her for lunch, even though it wasn't the week where they ate together on Fridays. But he also had plans to take her out for dinner that night.

When it was close to the time Candy went on her lunch break, DK set off, singing a love song to himself. He remembered the day he confessed his love to Candy, but he'd been so nervous. The first time he confessed his love to a girl, he wound up in a relationship that wasn't very loving, and it just about killed him! Not only that, Evelyn made him nervous around women. However, Candy was different, but DK still waited longer than he had with Evelyn before he told Candy that he loved her. To his extreme happness, Candy returned his feelings, and their relationship was a pretty happy one, even though they had their ups-and-downs. Still, they were working hard to go up, higher and higher!

By the time DK arrived, Candy was ready for lunch, and she was glad to see DK.

"Happy anniversary, love-monkey." Candy greeted her boyfriend with a loving smile.

"Happy anniversary, gorilla my dreams." DK replied, smiling back.

"You do know what anniversary we're celebrating, don't you?" Candy asked.

"It's the anniversary of the day we became boyfriend and girlfriend." DK responded.

"That's right, DK. So are we going to do something extra special to celebrate?" Candy asked.

"We could always go out to eat at Lanky's restaurant for dinner." DK suggested.

"All right. We'll meet there at 6:45?" Candy asked.

"It's a date!" DK said.

As they ate lunch, they were rather quiet. That's because they were reminiscing the day they were celebrating. Several years had passed since then, but it was still fresh in their minds.

 **(Flashback...)**

 _It was a rather nice day, especially since Candy was off today, and so she was able to spend time with her good friend, DK._

 _"Hi, Candy." DK greeted her when she showed up at his treehouse._

 _"Hello, DK." Candy said as DK let her in._

 _"So, what brings you here?" DK asked._

 _"I've got the day off." Candy said._

 _"That's great." DK replied._

 _They were silent for a moment, and then DK said, "So... what do you want to do?"_

 _"You wanna watch a movie?" Candy asked._

 _"Okay." said DK, and he let Candy choose the movie they watched, and she picked "Shrek", which they both liked._

 _However, DK wasn't really concentrating on the movie. He was thinking about Candy, how lovely and sweet she was. He was debating whether or not he should tell her that he loved her._

 _"_ I don't know what to do. The last time I told a girl I loved her, she became evil and treated me bad! I don't think my heart would be able to take it if history repeats itself! But then again, Candy's different. She's not like Evelyn. _" DK thought._

 _"Is something wrong, DK?" Candy asked._

 _"N-no! I mean... no. Everything is fine." DK said, still unsure._

 _When the movie was over, DK made the decision to tell. He and Candy had been friends for 9 months, which he figured was plenty of time, since he only waited 5 months before he told Evelyn that he loved her._

 _"Candy, there's something I think you should know." DK said._

 _"What? It's not something bad, is it?" Candy asked._

 _"No. This is something I realized a little while ago, but I think now is a good time." DK said._

 _"Let's hear it." Candy said._

 _"Candy... I... I-I love you." DK said, scared that Candy would put him through "Evelyn: Round 2"._

 _"You do?" Candy asked, surprised._

 _"Yes..." DK asked, unable to look at her._

 _"DK, look at me." Candy said._

 _DK was almost afraid to, but he risked a glace at her. She didn't look mad, so he relaxed a little. However, he kept his guard up, not knowing what to expect._

 _"You love me?" Candy asked._

 _"Yes. I do." DK said._

 _"I love you, too." Candy said._

 _"What?" DK asked, wondering if he heard her correctly. Did Candy really just say that she loved him?_

 _"I love you, DK." Candy repeated._

 _"You... you love me?!" DK asked, hardly daring to believe that the girl actually loved him back._

 _"Yes." Candy smiled._

 _"She loves me!" DK shouted in excitement. He was so happy, he couldn't help it._

 _"I've never seen you this happy before." Candy said._

 _"I've never_ been _this happy before!" DK said, still floating on Cloud 9._

 _"So, we're in a relationship now." Candy said._

 _"And we're both going to make this relationship work?" DK checked._

 _"Of course. It takes 2 people to make it work." Candy smiled._

 _"_ I'm so glad I told her... _" DK thought to himself as he hugged Candy. He still couldn't believe that Candy loved him back._

 _Candy returned the hug, and they stayed like that for a while, content to be in each other's arms._

 _ ***Click***_

 _Startled by the sound, the couple turned to see Diddy holding a digital camera._

 _"Diddy!" DK exclaimed, surprised that Diddy had taken a picture of him and Candy._

 _"Even though you didn't kiss, the picture turned out good." Diddy said._

 _"Why did you take a picture of us?" DK asked._

 _"Because you both look really happy together. Check it out!" Diddy said, showing them the picture._

 _"Not bad!" Candy said._

 _"When he's right, he's right." DK said._

 _Naturally, they printed that picture. There was one for DK, and one for Candy. And then they framed the picture and set it on their nightstands. (A/N: Yeah, that's the one and same picture they looked at before falling asleep at the end of Chapter 3.)_

 **(End flashback...)**

When DK returned home after lunch, he listened to some love songs. He was excited about tonight, and he couldn't wait to see Candy. However, he was also a little nervous; he always was before going out with Candy, 'cause his memory sometimes brought him back to when he was dating Evelyn, and she would make a scene if he didn't have enough money to pay for everything (she'd get mad if she needed to contribute). But Candy was different. She'd either pay for everything, or pay half without a fuss.

At 5:30, DK decided to take a hot shower, which really helped him relax.

After he dried off, DK put on the red silk tie Candy had given him for Valentine's Day. However, it was only 5:50, a little less than an hour left before he and Candy were to meet for their date.

"How about you watch "The Loud House" with me while you wait?" Diddy asked, watching an episode of said cartoon.

"I don't know, little buddy. I've gotta be at Lanky's restaurant by 6:45. Candy and I are going out for the anniversary of the day we became boyfriend and girlfriend." DK said.

"Whoa, I almost forgot that that was today!" Diddy exclaimed. Then he added, "Happy anniversary!"

"Thanks, Diddy." DK said with a small smile.

So DK decided to look at the clock after the next episode of "The Loud House" ended.

"Okay, now I'll head out. See ya later tonight, Diddy!" DK said as he raced out the door.

"Have fun, DK!" Diddy replied as he got ready to watch more episodes of "The Loud House".

DK and Candy met right on time, and Lanky was happy to see them.

"Check this out! I've decided to have karaoke on Fridays! I might get even more customers this way!" Lanky said.

"It sounds awesome!" DK said.

"It might even be fun." Candy said.

"Thanks, guys." Lanky smiled.

DK and Candy were taken to a nice table, and they'd been there for a few minutes when DK had an idea. He got up and walked over to a table near the DJ's booth. There were several binders sitting there, and DK picked one up and looked through it, searching for a song. When he found one, he took a small piece of paper out of this little bag near the front of the binder, grabbed a pencil (that was also in the binder), and filled it out. He knew what to do, having done karaoke with Diddy once. Then he handed the paper to the DJ, who was none other than Funky Kong.

"Donkey-dude! You're gonna sing?" Funky asked.

"Yeah." DK said.

"Well, you're the first one tonight!" Funky said, turning on a microphone and handing it to DK.

Once DK had the mic, he moved to where the monitor was. The monitor would display the words of the song, and DK had to sing them when they lit up.

As Funky inserted the CD, he spoke into a mic of his own and said, "All right! The first singer tonight is someone we all know! Let's hear it for our ruler, Donkey-dude!"

Everyone appluaded politely, and Candy was surprised to see that DK was going to sing. But why didn't he let her know? She would've been more than happy to go up and sing with him. However, she wasn't going to complain. This was DK, and she loved him.

When the applause died down, DK said into the mic he held, "Candy, this one's for you."

So that's why DK didn't tell her. He was going to sing a song for her! But what song?

She got her answer when the music started, and the backing vocals of "Darlin'" by the Beach Boys came from the speakers. DK sang the main vocals, and he did it well! The audience loved it, but not as much as Candy, who was grinning like a stupid kid, hardly daring to believe that DK was dedicating this sweet song to her!

When DK finished the song, he handed the microphone back to Funky, who said, "Let's hear it again for Donkey-dude, the ruler of our island!"

The audience gave DK a standing ovation as he returned to his table, where a beaming Candy was waiting for him.

"You were wonderful!" Candy exclaimed as she pulled DK into a kiss.

"Not as wonderful as you, darlin'!" DK replied when they pulled apart.

After dinner, they were still very much in love, more than they had been that day several years back, when DK confessed his love.

Ah, l'amour! Their love is only getting stronger with each passing chapter! When they decided to fix their relationship, they stuck right to it! Keep reading to see how close they get.


	12. Father's Day

(A/N: Okay, that last chapter was sweet, and I'm hoping to continue the sweetness in this chapter! Let's see!)

The month of June was turning out rather nicely on Kongo Bongo Island. Except there was a day that the pirates showed up to claim the Crystal Coconut, but after they heard from the Kremlings that the island's security was better than ever, they left, too scared to think about going after the object they desired.

Now it was Father's Day weekend, and DK was feeling alright. His father, DK Jr., was spending the weekend at Cranky's, since Cranky was his father. DK went over there on Saturday afternoon to see his dad, and they had a pleasant talk.

"So, how's your girlfriend? Your mother says that you and her are getting along well." DK Jr. said to his son.

"We are. She's still as wonderful as ever, and I love her so much. In fact, she and I have a date tonight." DK said.

"It shouldn't be long before we hear that you and her are getting married, then." DK Jr. replied.

"Not for a while, Dad. I'm not ready to ask her the question." DK replied, blushing at the thought of marriage.

"Did you know that he's ruling the island now?" Cranky asked.

"He is?! It's news to me. How long have you been ruling?" DK Jr. asked.

"Since New Year's Eve. It's safely hidden in a custom-built nightstand, and you have to say a password to make it come out." DK answered.

"And the password is quite a mouthful, but it's the last thing a bad guy would ever say." Cranky said.

"The bad guys haven't found it yet, and even if they knew the password, they wouldn't dare say it." DK replied.

"You're the one who came up with the password?" DK Jr. guessed, talking to his son.

"Guilty!" DK said.

"And the password is...?" DK Jr. wanted to know.

DK whispered the password to his father, and his eyes grew wide.

"Wow! You guys weren't lying!" DK Jr. said, very surprised.

"We know!" DK and Cranky said in unison.

"By the way, how's Diddy doing?" DK Jr. asked.

"He's doing fine. We're still as close as ever." DK said.

"That's good." DK Jr. said.

"Yup." said DK. Then he looked at the clock and said, "I'd better get ready for my date with Candy."

"Okay. Will I be seeing you tomorrow as well?" DK Jr. asked.

"Yeah, for a bit. I'd spend a lot of time here tomorrow if I could, but I'd have to bring Diddy, and Cranky... doesn't like him too much." DK said.

"Dad... Diddy's your great-grandson; you should be happy you're still alive to see him." DK Jr. said, giving his father a look.

"I am. But he's still got a long way to go before he can be a hero like you and your son." Cranky said.

"I'd say he's already a hero, since he helps me out whenever possible. I mean, think about it! He helped me recover my banana hoard, and not only did he and Dixie find every single one of your Video Game Hero coins, they also saved me from the clutches of Kaptain K. Rool." DK said, but he shuddered as he remembered the latter. His dreams still haunted him about that time every now and again.

"There you have it! My grandson has proven himself a hero!" DK Jr. said.

"Fine. You can bring him along when you come over tomorrow." Cranky gave in.

"Thank you!" DK Jr. said.

"Thanks, Dad! Be sure to tell Diddy how heroic he is when we stop by, okay?" DK said to his father.

"You bet I will!" DK Jr. replied.

 **The next day...**

Diddy awoke bright and early on Father's Day. When he was younger, he would be so excited about giving DK his Father's Day card, he'd run into his uncle's room and jump on his bed until the ape woke up. But Diddy decided to do something different this year.

"I think I'll surprise DK this year." Diddy said to himself as he went to the kitchen and found a box of waffles in the freezer.

"Bingo!" Diddy said, and he took two waffles out of the box and put them in the toaster. Yup, Diddy figured he would surprise DK with breakfast in bed. As long as DK didn't wake up before it was ready. Then again, he and Candy had been out late last night, so Diddy figured he had plenty of time to get breakfast ready.

Once the waffles popped out of the toaster, Diddy quickly transferred them to a plate, buttered them, and topped them with fresh banana slices and maple syrup. He set the plate on a tray with some silverware, set another banana on the tray, and added a glass of banana juice. Then Diddy added his card, opened the door to DK's room, went back to the kitchen, picked up the tray, and carried it into DK's room.

Sure enough, DK was still sound asleep, totally oblivious to what was going on. Diddy was glad that DK hadn't woken up before breakfast was ready. Now it was, but it looked like DK wouldn't be getting up for a while.

"Well, he might want to get at his breakfast before the waffles get cold." Diddy muttered to himself. He figured that he had no choice, so he set the tray on a chair in the room, climbed up on DK's bed, and started jumping on the bed, trying to rouse his uncle.

As expected, DK woke up.

"Diddy, what are you doing?" DK asked, seeing his nephew jumping on his bed.

"Getting you up. Happy Father's Day!" Diddy replied as he stopped jumping on the bed and slid off.

"Well, I'm up. And since today is Father's Day, where's the card you usually can't wait to give me?" DK asked.

"It's here!" Diddy answered, picking up the tray and setting it on DK's bed.

"What's this? You made me breakfast in bed?!" DK asked, very surprised.

"Yes. Do you like it?" Diddy asked.

"Like it? I think I'm gonna love it!" DK said, leaning over to give Diddy a hug.

"Thanks, DK." Diddy replied.

DK found the card and picked it up. It depicted a man holding a tie, and the card read, "Have a great Dad's Day..." Then DK opened the card, which showed a present, and under it were the words, "Or you're going to your room without dessert. Happy Father's Day!" Under that, Diddy had written, "Love, Diddy".

"Well, I'm already having a great Father's Day. And what's for dessert?" DK asked as he set the card on his nightstand.

"Can't tell you. It's a surprise!" Diddy said as he exited the room, ready to prepare his own breakfast.

"Okay." DK said, and he started eating his breakfast, and he really enjoyed it. When he finished his breakfast, he picked up the tray and carried it out to the kitchen, where he saw his nephew enjoying his own breakfast, which was the same thing DK had been enjoying.

"Hey, little buddy!" DK greeted his nephew.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast?" Diddy asked, turning to DK.

"You bet I did! It was great!" DK said.

"Glad you liked it!" Diddy smiled.

The two spent the morning together, watching movies and enjoying each other's company. And that afternoon, DK said, "You know, Diddy, my dad is staying at Cranky's this weekend. I promised him that we'd go and visit him today."

"We? As in, both of us? But Cranky doesn't like me going over to his place!" Diddy said.

"Actually, Dad talked Cranky into letting you come over today." DK said.

"He did?" Diddy asked.

"You bet he did!" DK said.

"Alright! My grandpa is awesome!" Diddy said.

So they went to Cranky's house, and DK knocked on the door.

"I'll get it, Dad." DK Jr. was heard saying to Cranky. Sure enough, he opened the door.

"Happy Father's Day, Dad!" DK said to his father.

"Thanks, son! And look, you even brought my heroic grandson!" DK Jr. said.

"Thanks for thinking of me as a hero, Grandpa! But I wouldn't be much of a hero if it wasn't for DK. He's teaching me everything he knows." Diddy said.

"The same things he learned from me." DK Jr. pointed out.

"Are you going to come in or what?!" Cranky yelled over to DK and Diddy.

"Yes, Cranky." the duo replied, and they entered. That's when DK handed his dad a Father's Day card. His father read it, and gave him a smile.

"Thanks, son." DK Jr. smiled.

"You're welcome, Dad." DK said.

The 4 of them sat in the place, reminiscing times gone by. It was also pretty amazing, since there were 4 generations of the Kong clan in one place at the same time! (It works, since Diddy is Cranky's great-grandson!)

DK and Diddy left around dinner time, but they thanked Cranky for having them over, and they said good-bye to DK Jr.

"It was nice seeing Dad again." DK said.

"It sure was. Plus, he talked Cranky into allowing me to come with you!" Diddy said.

"Just another reason to love him!" DK said.

They got home and were trying to figure out what to have for dinner. They'd been lost in thought for 5 minutes when they heard a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" DK asked.

"I'll get it!" Diddy called, and he hurried to the door and opened it.

There was Candy, holding a banana cream pie.

"DK, look who's here!" Diddy called out.

DK went over there, and he saw his girlfriend.

"Candy!" DK exclaimed.

"Hi, DK!" Candy said.

"What brings you here?" DK said.

"I just thought I'd bring dessert." Candy said, showing him the pie.

"Yay! And I've been having a great Dad's Day, so I won't have to go to my room without any of this!" DK said.

"What, DK?" Candy asked as she entered and set the pie on the dining room table.

"Oh, the card Diddy gave me told me to have a great Dad's Day or I would be going to my room without dessert." DK said. And then he realized something.

"Wait a minute. When I asked Diddy what dessert was, he said that it was a surprise. And now you're here with dessert. Did you two plan this?" DK asked.

"You bet we did!" Diddy and Candy said in unison.

"You sneaky little drips! But I still love you guys just the same!" DK said.

"We know!" Candy said, giving DK a hug, knowing that he wasn't being mean when he called her and Diddy 'sneaky little drips'.

"So, what are we going to have for dinner?" Diddy asked.

"I know that the pie is supposed to be for dessert, but I wonder what Candy would say about having a slice for dinner instead." DK said.

"Sounds like a plan." Candy said.

So they all had a slice, and DK told her about the afternoon he and Diddy spent at Cranky's house, mainly because his dad was there for the weekend.

"How is your dad?" Candy asked.

"He's okay." DK replied.

"I wonder when I'll be seeing him and your mom again?" Candy said.

"Sometime." DK said, thinking about how his parents wondered if DK and Candy were going to get married.

After dinner, DK, Candy, and Diddy settled down to watch a movie, and they let DK pick the movie. The movie he chose was "The Emperor's New Groove", and they all enjoyed it.

Later, when the movie was over, and Candy went home, DK and Diddy were ready to call it a night.

"Well, little buddy, you know that I had a good day. Did you?" DK asked Diddy.

"Yup. This was a good day, even though it was mainly supposed to be a good day for you." Diddy said.

"So we both had a good day!" DK said.

"I'm more happy that you had a wonderful Father's Day." Diddy said.

"Mostly thanks to you, Diddy. I know that you're my nephew, but you're more like a son to me." DK said.

Awww, I had to throw in some sweetness between DK and his adorable nephew, Diddy. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	13. DK's Birthday

(A/N: So the year is half-over, and DK's relationship with Candy has gone pretty well so far. And look, we have another chapter! Let's see what's going to happen.)

It was now July, and the Kongs had enjoyed the amazing fireworks show that they would see every 4th of July. But the month was really significant for DK, since his birthday was this month. (A/N: Well, the "Tropical Freeze" game took place in summer, and they were celebrating DK's birthday in the opening cutscene. So I'm going to say that DK was born in the summer.)

"Ohh, what am I gonna give DK for his birthday this year?" Diddy asked himself. He would usually have some idea of what to give DK when his birthday came around. But this year, he didn't really know.

"Well, part of my present to him is the fact that I'm making his birthday cake." Candy had told Diddy one Wednesday night when he reminded her that DK's birthday was coming up. DK, at the moment, was in the kitchen, looking for a snack, so he didn't hear them.

"I gotta figure out what to give him. He always gives me something cool for my birthday." Diddy said.

"Have you asked him if he's got any ideas of what he wants?" Candy asked.

"Tried it. DK can't think of anything." Diddy said.

"I'm sure you'll think of something. People often come up with something when they least expect it." Candy told him.

"Hopefully." Diddy said.

The next day, after Diddy got back from another adventure with Dixie, Diddy noticed DK in his room, looking forlorn.

"What's wrong, DK?" Diddy asked.

"It's my favorite cassettes from when I was younger. I thought I'd listen to them while you were out today, but none of them work anymore." DK said.

"What gave it away?" Diddy asked.

"There was a horrible screeching noise over more than half the songs! You can't even tell what the songs are supposed to be anymore." DK explained.

"Well, that's no fun. If I could fix them, I'd do it right..." Diddy said, but then he found himself trailing off as his eyes lit up. He had an idea! Diddy could easily transform those tapes into CDs!

"Now I know what to do! I could recreate those cassettes on CDs for DK!" Diddy said to himself, suddenly happy.

"Say what, little buddy?" DK asked, thinking he heard Diddy say something.

"N-nothing!" Diddy replied as he left the room.

Diddy started work right away by locking himself in his room, grabbing his notebook, and writing down what songs were on the cassettes (in order). Sure, he remembered the order in which the songs were on each cassette, but it never hurt to write it down, just in case he forgot.

The real work began the following day, after DK left to have lunch with Candy. As soon as DK shut the door, Diddy went on YouTube and started searching for videos of each song, listening to them to make sure they were good before ripping the audio. He had gotten several songs taken care of before DK returned.

"Uh-oh..." Diddy said as he turned off the computer, not wanting DK to find out what he was doing.

Over the next few days, Diddy worked on collecting the songs when DK was napping or out of the house. It took time before he had every song.

After organizing the songs, he burned the CDs. Once the CDs were burned, Diddy grabbed a black Sharpie marker and named the CDs after the cassettes. Then he listened to each CD on his portable CD player, making sure they all worked fine.

"They're all perfect. That's good!" Diddy said as he put the last CD back in its case. Then he stacked up the CD cases and wrapped them together. After that, Diddy took the envelope containing DK's birthday card and taped it to the top of the gift, hiding it in back of his dresser-drawer, behind the tank-tops.

"Now all I have to do is wait for DK's birthday. Boy, is he gonna be surprised!" Diddy said to himself, unable to wait for DK's birthday.

Well, DK's birthday finally arrived, and DK was looking forward to that afternoon.

"This is gonna be a fun day!" DK said.

"I know. It's gonna be great as long as the Snowmads don't show up and do what they did last time." Diddy said.

"Let's... not talk about that." DK said, still miffed that the Snowmads picked his birthday, of all days, to cause trouble.

"Right. Sorry." Diddy apologized.

When the afternoon arrived, everyone showed up with presents, and Candy also had the cake, which was a 3-layer cake (every layer was banana, and the icing was chocolate).

When Diddy saw where the guests were placing the gifts, he went to his room and took his gift for DK out of his dresser, setting it with the rest of the gifts.

"So, you thought of something to give DK?" Candy whispered to Diddy.

"Yup." Diddy said.

"What did you get him?" Candy asked.

"You'll see what it is when he opens it." Diddy said.

"Okay, I guess I can wait." Candy shrugged.

For games, everyone played video games, which no one minded. But they didn't play games for that long.

"Who wants cake?" DK asked.

"ME!" everyone shouted.

So they all walked over to the table, where the birthday cake sat, and everyone sat down while DK found a candle, placed it on the cake, and lit it. Then everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to DK. When the song was over, DK made a wish and blew out the candle.

"What did you wish for?" Diddy asked.

"Can't tell you, little buddy. You know that a wish won't come true if you tell." DK reminded him.

"Oh yeah." Diddy said.

Then DK cut a slice of cake for everyone, and they also had banana-flavored ice cream. They even had fruit punch to drink.

"Candy, you outdid yourself. This cake is awesome!" DK praised his girlfriend, who was sitting on his left.

"I did it for you, DK!" Candy said, and she and DK shared a kiss before going back to their cake.

Everyone really enjoyed the cake and ice cream, but it seemed that they finished all too soon.

"Now it's time to open my presents!" DK said.

"Okay!" Diddy said, feeling excited as everyone got up and moved to sit in a circle around DK as he looked over the pile of birthday presents in front of him.

"You seem really happy, Diddy." Dixie asked as she sat next to her boyfriend.

"I am. I made something for him that I think he's gonna like." Diddy said.

"He usually does like what you give him." Dixie reminded him.

"I know. I just can't wait to see his reaction." Diddy said.

"Just try to keep calm." Dixie told him.

So DK started opening his presents. He liked everything he got. Some of his friends got him gift cards, which he thought was cool. He thanked everyone for the presents he got, too.

And then he got to the last present, the one Diddy gave him.

"I wonder what my little buddy got me?" DK said. But first, he had to look at the card. He read the card, in which Diddy had written, "I hope your birthday is as cool as you, DK, the coolest uncle there ever was! Love, Diddy".

"Thanks, Diddy!" DK said, giving his nephew a smile, which Diddy happily returned. Then Diddy asked, "How about you open your present now?" "I was just about to." DK said as he started to open the present. Diddy watched happily, trying not to blurt out what his present was as the wrapping paper was removed.

"What's this?" DK asked as he saw the small stack of CD cases, each containing a CD. But then he saw what Diddy had written on the CDs. Imagine his surprise when he read the titles of his old cassettes on each CD.

"Diddy, did you do what I think you did?" DK asked.

"I found the songs on YouTube, and I checked the songs over to make sure they would be okay on the CDs. Then I ripped the audio, put the songs in the right order, and burned the CDs. They work, too. I got the idea when you told me that your cassettes weren't working right anymore." Diddy explained.

"You turned those cassettes into CDs for me?!" DK asked.

"Yes. Do you like them?" Diddy asked.

"Diddy, you are so awesome! It's just like you to do something nice like this!" DK said, grabbing Diddy and giving him a big hug in front of everyone. Diddy could only hug his uncle back, happiness filling his small body.

Later, when everyone was getting ready to leave, DK told everyone, "This has been a great day! I'm glad you were all able to come and celebrate with me!"

"No problem, Donkey-dude! We were glad to come, and we had a groovy time!" Funky said.

"And I'm glad your birthday was a happy one." Candy said.

"Eh, it was okay." Cranky said.

"Thanks again for everything!" DK said.

"You're welcome, DK." Candy said, giving her boyfriend a kiss, one that DK was only too happy to return.

"I'm glad you liked my present." Diddy said to DK.

"How could I not? Your gifts are always thoughtful!" DK said, holding his nephew in an embrace.

So DK's birthday was a good one, and he loved his presents, and all his friends were there to help him celebrate and make it as good as it was. Hope you liked it.


	14. Remember How We Met

(A/N: So we've already made it to August in this story! The year is more than halfway done, and DK and Candy are falling in love all over again! Let's see what will happen here!)

It was a clear Saturday morning in mid-August, and the weather was still very warm, but not uncomfortably warm. DK looked at his calendar and saw that today was a special day. This was the anniversary of the night he met Candy. What had started as another fun summer night turned into a really happy one for DK. The Kongs had been having one of their summer parties on the beach, and DK had been having fun, just like everyone else. But then he noticed someone, a girl he'd never seen before. It was Candy, but he didn't know her yet. However, he knew that he really wanted to go over there and talk to her, get to know her.

Before he could go over and talk to her, he stopped. His first relationship had made him nervous around women, thanks to Evelyn messing with his head. DK didn't know what to do. As much as he wanted to go talk to this new girl, he was much too nervous to do so.

However, he quickly got over his nervousness when he realized something important. If he didn't talk to her tonight, he might not see her again. If he let her get away, he'd be kicking himself for not talking to her when he had the chance. So he went over there to talk to her. They spent the rest of the party talking to each other, getting to know one another, and they really liked each other.

"I'm still glad I spoke to her when I did." DK said to himself as he thought back to that night. Tonight would be as nice as that night had been, mainly because this was the Saturday that they went out on a moonlight picnic. He called Candy to wish her a happy anniversary, and she wished him one back.

"I can't wait to see you tonight." DK said to Candy.

"I'm looking forward to it." Candy replied.

" _Not as much as I am_." DK thought as he hung up the phone.

Because he really didn't have a lot to do until nightfall, DK spent the better part of the day talking with his nephew, Diddy, who had been a child when DK and Candy got together.

"Look at you now! You two are inseperable!" Diddy said.

"Candy is the banana of my eye! Evelyn never got to the point where I would think of her as such!" DK said.

"If anything, I'm really glad you and Candy are still together. From what I know, Evelyn couldn't make you as happy as Candy does." Diddy said.

"I know..." DK said, lost in love as he started thinking about Candy.

"At the rate they're going, DK will be ready to pop the question any day now. And this time, he won't mess it up." Diddy said with a slight smile as he watched his uncle.

Later that night, DK and Candy were on the beach, reminiscing the night they met.

"You were right over there, and I was over there when I saw you." DK said, pointing out two spots in particular.

"You picked me out, out of all the people at the party?" Candy asked.

"How could I not? You're the loveliest woman I've ever seen." DK said.

"And I couldn't help thinking that you were quite handsome. You still are, by the way." Candy replied.

"How did I get so lucky?" DK asked as he leaned closer to Candy.

"Because you're irresistible." Candy told him, also leaning close to DK, resulting in them sharing a kiss.

"Remember how we spent the remainder of the party just talking?" DK asked.

"We got to know each other pretty well that night. And we probably would've continued talking if Diddy hadn't let you know that everyone was heading home, and that he was getting tired himself." Candy said.

"He did tell me that he's happy for us." DK said.

"Your nephew is quite a kid." Candy smiled.

"Yeah, he's something special, just like you." DK replied, making Candy blush.

They stayed out until 11:00 p.m.

"Wow, I didn't realize it was so late!" Candy said as she looked at her watch.

"Time flies when you're having fun, or having a moonlight picnic to celebrate the anniversary of the night you met your true love." DK said.

"True." Candy said as she and DK got ready to go home and call it a night well-spent.

And when they went to bed, they dreamed about the night they met, glad that it happened.

Aww, more love between DK and Candy, even though this chapter was so short! I apologize for that. Stay tuned for more, 'cause we're still a ways from done!


	15. Candy's Birthday

(A/N: Now we're getting close to the holidays. But first, we should at least find out how September turned out.)

It was early September on Kongo Bongo Island. The weather was still warm, but not as hot as it had been during the summer, and cool temperatures would be coming soon. Today was a good day, because it was Candy Kong's birthday, and she decided to celebrate her day with a party at the beach.

Even though it was a weekday, Bluster told Candy the previous day that he'd let her have her birthday off. Surprised, but happy, Candy thanked Bluster by inviting him to her birthday party.

"So, who are you inviting?" DK asked when he called her to discuss her birthday party.

"Let's see. I've invited you, Diddy, Dixie and her family, Funky, Lanky, and Bluster." Candy said.

"C-could you repeat the last name?" DK asked, wondering if he heard Candy correctly. Did she really just say that Bluster was invited to her birthday party?

"Bluster." Candy repeated.

"You invited _Bluster_?! Why did you do that?!" DK asked, shocked.

"He let me have my birthday off, and he never did that before. It was nice of him to do that this year." Candy explained.

"(sigh) Okay, I guess I can't argue with that. But if he tries to get cozy with you, I'm gonna hit him so hard, he won't want to go near anyone for the next year-and-a-half!" DK swore.

"I'm fairly certain he's not going to try anything stupid, especially since you'll be there." Candy assured her boyfriend.

Now it was Candy's birthday, and everyone was happy, but not as happy as the birthday girl. Right now, DK and Candy were in their swimsuits at the beach, setting up some tables to put the food and presents on. The ice cream and drinks were in a cooler, buried under lots of ice so they'll stay cold for a long time. Once the tables were set up, Candy set her birthday cake (which she baked herself) on one table while DK set his gift for Candy on the other table.

"Wow, that cake looks good." DK said.

"It should be. It's banana cake with vanilla icing." Candy said.

"Then it will be good. But you made it, so that's a bonus." DK said.

"Thanks DK, but you can't get at the cake yet. You'll have to wait until it's time to eat." Candy told him.

"Then I'll try to restrain myself." DK said.

"Do, or do not. There is no try." Candy said.

"I know where you got that from." DK smiled, remembering when Candy decided to watch the "Star Wars" films with him, even though they didn't exactly thrill her the way they did him and Diddy. But she watched them anyway, something Evelyn hadn't even tried to do.

By now, everyone else arrived, clad in swimsuits. Upon seeing which table DK's present sat on, they put their presents on that table.

"So, what do we do now?" DK asked when everyone arrived.

"Well, I do know that we're not going to eat right away, for some of you might wanna go swimming first, and if we eat first, you'll have to wait for an hour before going in. In which case, if you wanna go in the water, do it now!" Candy said.

"All right! Surf's up, dudes!" Funky shouted as he grabbed his surfboard and ran to the water, ready to have fun.

Everyone had something to do. Candy and Bluster were sunning themselves. Dixie, Tiny, and Kiddy were building a sandcastle (Dixie and Tiny would go for a swim afterward), and Chunky was watching them. DK, Diddy, and Lanky were swimming, but DK mainly kept a close eye on Candy and Bluster, making sure Bluster didn't try anything.

"DK, I'm sure Bluster knows that trying anything with Candy would spell certain death for him." Diddy said when he noticed that DK was constantly gazing at the shore.

"You never know, little buddy." DK replied, making sure that Bluster kept his hands away from Candy.

"DK, even if you don't see it, someone else would and let you know immediately. Besides, we're here to have fun, and you won't have much if you're constantly keeping an eye on Candy and Bluster." Diddy said.

"Okay, then." DK said. He relaxed some, and he had some more fun with his nephew and Lanky.

Later, everyone had had fun, and they were all getting hungry, so Candy said, "Alright, who wants cake?"

"ME!" everyone yelled in unison.

"Okay, gather round!" Candy said as everyone gathered round the table and sat down. Well... all but DK, Diddy, Lanky, Tiny, and Chunky.

"Aren't you guys gonna have cake?" Candy asked as she lit the candles on the cake.

"We will." DK said.

Suddenly, the Kongs who weren't at the table pulled out their instruments. (A/N: If you've played "Donkey Kong 64", you'll notice that the Kongs that aren't at the table were the ones you play as, and they all had instruments.)

"What the-?!" Candy said.

"Here goes!" DK said, and the Kongs with instruments started playing "Happy Birthday". Once everyone heard, they started singing the words.

When the performance was over, Candy made a wish and blew out the candles in one try.

"So, what did you wish for?" DK asked Candy as he and the other Kongs put their instruments away and joined everyone else at the table.

"I already got it." Candy said.

"You did? What is it?" Bluster asked.

"A happy birthday!" Candy said.

"That's a nice wish." Dixie said as Candy started to cut the cake.

"Don't forget the ice cream and drinks!" DK said as he pulled the things out of the cooler.

"I almost forgot about those! Thanks, DK." Candy said.

"Always happy to help you." DK replied.

So everyone got to eat banana cake with birthday cake-flavored ice cream, and to drink, they had Sprite. And they enjoyed it a lot.

"I knew the cake was gonna be good, but it's better than I thought it'd be." DK said after he tried the cake.

"You like it?" Candy asked.

"I love it!" DK said.

Everyone else nodded in agreement, which really made Candy happy.

After they finished eating, Tiny asked Candy when she was going to open her presents.

"I should do that. I think I'll do it now." Candy said, and everyone gathered at the table where her presents sat.

"Open mine first!" Bluster said, handing Candy his present.

"Okay..." said Candy. She opened the card from Bluster, and she found that it contained her paycheck, but there was something different about it.

"Is this my paycheck?" Candy asked.

"Yes. I gave you a bonus for your birthday. But that, and having today off, are only part of your present." Bluster said.

"Well, thanks." Candy said.

"Don't thank me until you've opened your present." Bluster said.

"Okay." said Candy, and she opened the present, which was a gold silk scarf!

"Wow... this is beautiful!" Candy exclaimed as she took the scarf out and showed it to everyone. Dixie and Tiny both gasped in amazement, and most everyone 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed over the scarf. Bluster looked very pleased with himself, but DK and Diddy both looked worried.

"Uh-oh..." said DK.

"Bluster gave her a silk scarf?!" Diddy gasped.

"How can my gift compete with that?" DK asked, worried.

"Maybe Candy will forget about the scarf when she sees what you gave her." Diddy said, trying to reassure DK.

"I don't think so, little buddy. Why would she want what I'm giving her when she's got something amazing from Bluster?" DK said.

"Because even though she likes the scarf, she'll love what you got her. And she'll love it because it's from you." Diddy said.

"How do you know?" DK asked.

"Because something similar happened at Dixie's birthday party the year she and Tiny helped me save Timber's Island from Wizpig. She invited all of our friends who helped out to her party. One of our friends gave Dixie an amazing gift, and I was scared that she wouldn't like what I gave her. But when she opened my gift, she told me that she loved it, because it was from me." Diddy said.

"Oh. Okay, I believe you." DK said, although it didn't sound like he really did believe Diddy.

Candy, meanwhile, was opening all her presents, and she thanked whoever gave her the gift she opened. Before long, she made it to DK's present.

"DK, Candy's going to open your present." Diddy said.

"She's going to read the card, first." DK said.

Sure enough, Candy opened the envelope that the card was in, and the card had a loving message from DK in it. It said, "Candy, I hope your birthday is as special and sweet as you are. Love, DK".

"Oh, DK, that's so sweet!" Candy exclaimed as she hugged DK tightly. The hug was enough to help DK feel a little better, but he wouldn't feel completely okay until he knew that Candy liked his present.

"Let's see what this is..." Candy said as she opened the present. It was rather small, and she didn't know what could be in it. Well, the present turned out to be a small, black box. When Candy opened the box, she saw something really pretty inside.

"Oh my goodness..." Candy said upon seeing the object in the box.

Inside the box was a pendant of the Crystal Coconut. It looked exactly like the Crystal Coconut, only smaller.

"I thought you might like that to go with your locket." DK said.

"DK, you're the best! I love it! Hang on a sec..." Candy said. She swiftly added the pendant to the chain.

"Still as lovely as ever." DK smiled, receiving a kiss from Candy.

At that moment, the Kremlings and pirates were running past the beach when they spotted the Kongs.

"Look! It be the Kongs!" a member of Skurvy's crew called out, pointing in the direction of the Kongs.

"The Kongs! Well, this time, they're going to tell us where they're hiding the Crystal Coconut is, even if we have to force the answer out of them!" K. Rool said.

"Let's go!" the bad guys shouted, and they ran to the beach, ready to get the answer from the Kongs. As they got closer, a glitter caught their eye. When they got close enough, they saw that the glitter was from Candy, who was wearing the Crystal Coconut pendant with her locket.

"Oh no! Look what happened to the Crystal Coconut!" K. Rool exclaimed, seeing the pendant and mistaking it for the real deal.

"What are you saying?" Diddy asked suspiciously.

"The Coconut be shrunk! She wears it 'round her neck!" Skurvy said, pointing at the pendant.

Realizing that the bad guys didn't know that Candy's pendant wasn't the real Crystal Coconut, Bluster said, "What are you saying? That's not the..."

He was suddenly cut off by DK clamping a hand over his mouth. DK then lied through his teeth, saying, "Oh yeah, that's the Crystal Coconut, all right. I managed to shrink it down and turn it into a pendant for my girl."

DK realized that the bad guys didn't know, and if they didn't know, it was for the best. And he wasn't about to let Bluster ruin it!

"Well, we can't have it now. If the Crystal Coconut is that small, we'd lose it for sure if we tried to steal it." Klump said.

"No point in keeping something easy to lose. Even if we do put it in a place where we can find it, it wouldn't be easy." a member of Skurvy's crew said.

So the bad guys left Kongo Bongo, not knowing what they could do since the Crystal Coconut wasn't worth it anymore.

When the bad guys were a good distance away, DK removed his hand from Bluster's mouth, and Bluster was not happy.

"Why did you do that?!" Bluster asked, mad at DK for shutting him up.

"Listen, Bluster. The bad guys didn't know." DK started.

"I know. That's why I was telling them." Bluster said.

"What they don't know won't hurt them. As long as they think Candy's pendant is really the Crystal Coconut, they'll leave us alone! Wouldn't you like not having to deal with the bad guys?" DK asked.

"Yes..." Bluster said.

"Well, YOU ALMOST RUINED THAT!" DK shouted, scaring Bluster.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll never do it again! I swear! Please don't kill me!" Bluster said, very frightened by DK's anger.

"I'm not going to kill you! Besides, you won't have to worry about the bad guys anymore, because they left." DK said.

"Wow, not only did I have a great time and get lots of neat presents, the bad guys quit! This is awesome!" Candy said.

"The best day ever!" DK exclaimed as he picked Candy up and swung her 'round in happiness.

Sounds like Candy's birthday was a good day! Not only did everyone have fun, the bad guys have given up, too! As you guessed, there's still more on the way, so stay tuned!


	16. Halloween Fun

(A/N: Okay, now we've made it to the holidays! Halloween is the first of the holidays, so let's see how it goes this year!)

It was October on Kongo Bongo Island. The weather had gotten even cooler, but it wasn't incredibly cold. And tonight wasn't too cold, which was a good thing for youngsters, 'cause it's Halloween night, and you know how kids love to go trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Over at DK's treehouse, DK and Candy were sitting on the living room couch, watching scary movies. Even though it wasn't Wednesday, they decided to hang out tonight since it was Halloween. Besides, Halloween came only once a year.

As for Diddy, he was waiting for Dixie and her family to come over so he could go trick-or-treating with them. He had his costume on and everything. He was dressed as a bog monster. When he came out of his room in the costume, Candy said, "My, you look awfully scary tonight."

"I hope so. I'm going as the hideous monster that waits in your backyard to dismember you." Diddy said.

"Maybe you could lie in wait in the barrel factory and do that to Bluster." Candy said.

"I could do that if we make the barrel factory one of our stops when we trick-or-treat." Diddy said.

"As much as I'd like to see Bluster get dismembered by a hideous monster, I'd rather you just scare the daylights out of him instead. You'd get into the kind of trouble you can't get out of if you dismembered him, and I don't want you to get into trouble." DK said.

"I won't dismember him. I don't think I have it in me to do that to anyone except a villain. Anyway, I can't wait till Dixie and her family get here. I'm supposed to go trick-or-treating with them. They're supposed to be here by 7:00, and it's almost that time." Diddy said.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"And that might be them right now!" Diddy yelled. He ran to the door and flung it open. Sure enough, Dixie was standing there with Tiny, Kiddy, and Chunky behind her.

The second Diddy saw Dixie, he was at a loss for words. Dixie was dressed as Rapunzel from the Disney movie "Tangled". (A/N: Who guessed that she would go as this character?) Not only was she wearing the dress, Dixie's long blonde hair was even styled like Rapunzel's, braided and adorned with flowers (except her hair wasn't as long as Rapunzel's). Her pink beret was replaced by a tiara that looked like Rapunzel's tiara. And instead of the small, orange, pumpkin-shaped earrings she had worn all this month, she wore earrings that looked like the floating lanterns that were always launched on Rapunzel's birthday.

As for everyone else in Dixie's family, Tiny was dressed as Cinderella (the outfit she wore to the ball), Kiddy was a ghost, and Chunky was dressed like a professional wrestler.

"Ready to go, Diddy?" Dixie asked.

"You're hot..." Diddy said, almost loud enough for Dixie to hear.

"What, Diddy?" Dixie asked, snapping Diddy out of his love trance.

"I... I mean... let's go!" Diddy said.

"Have fun, little buddy! And be careful!" DK called out.

"He'll be fine, DK! I'm watching over them, and they've got their weapons." Chunky said.

"Okay, then." said DK.

Then Diddy left with Dixie's family, ready to do some trick-or-treating.

So DK and Candy continued watching the movie, comforting each other during the scary parts.

At one point, our group of trick-or-treaters decided to stop by the barrel factory. They approached the building and knocked on the door.

Bluster opened the door, and he saw the group.

"Trick-or-treat!" the group said.

"Fine, I'll go get the treats." Bluster said, and when he went to go get the bowl of sweets, Diddy quietly snuck in behind Bluster. He was now hiding behind Bluster.

"Okay, one for all of you." Bluster said, handing everyone small wrapped packages containing several Hershey's Kisses.

"You forgot someone." Tiny said.

"No, I didn't. There's only 4 of you." Bluster said.

"Yeah, but... there's someone behind you." Dixie said, trying hard not to laugh as Diddy looked like he was growing in size from behind Bluster.

"What?!" Bluster asked as he turned around and came face-to-face with... A BIG BOG MONSTER! The bog monster let out a blood-curdling yell that scared Bluster so bad that he threw the bowl of sweets into the air and he screamed like a girl as he ran around the factory, trying to get away from the monster.

After several minutes, the monster went over to where the sweets lay after landing on the floor, took a pack of Kisses, and then left. As for Bluster, he stayed in the hiding spot he found for the rest of the night, too scared to move.

(A/N: The scene where Diddy scares Bluster is a nod to the Halloween chapter from "DK & Diddy: Brotherly Uncle x Nephew Moments", written by **DiddyKF1**.)

"You should've seen his face when he saw me!" Diddy said, back to his normal size, laughing about how bad he scared Bluster.

"I thought it was funny when you were growing in size behind him! How did you do that?" Dixie asked, still laughing about that part.

"I don't know. It's Halloween. Lots of scary things can happen on this night." Diddy said.

"You know, it'll be funny if Bluster's still shook up tomorrow." Tiny said, giggling as she thought about how scared Bluster had been.

"Candy's going to be in for a surprise if she sees him like that." Diddy said, wondering how funny that would be.

Around 9:00, the trick-or-treaters decided to call it a night, and their bags were filled with lots of candies.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Dixie." Diddy said as Dixie and her family walked Diddy back to DK's treehouse.

"See you then, Diddy." Dixie said as she and Diddy shared a good-night hug and kiss.

Once Diddy made it to the door, Dixie and her family made their way home.

Diddy watched them until they were out of sight, then he quietly opened the door and entered the house.

Candy was still there, watching a different scary movie with DK. They didn't seem to hear Diddy come in, as they still had their attention on the T.V.

"I wonder..." Diddy said to himself as he snuck up behind the couch, planning to scare DK and Candy while they watched the movie.

However, that didn't go according to plan, 'cause before he could scare them, a scary part happened, and he ended up screaming the way he did at the end of the song "The Big Bog Monster". And his scream startled DK more than the scary part did. It even startled Candy, so they were all screaming in terror.

When everyone was done screaming, DK turned around and finally noticed Diddy.

"Diddy! When did you get back?" DK asked.

"I got back shortly before that scary scene came on." Diddy said.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Candy asked.

"You guys were so engrossed in the movie that I thought I'd give you a quick scare. Didn't work out, though." Diddy said.

"Actually, it did work out. Your scream startled us more than the scary part did." Candy said.

"She's right, you know. Anyway, did you get lots of sweets?" DK asked.

"Yeah. I'm gonna look over my haul right now." Diddy said as he dumped his bag onto the rug and started looking over the treats he received.

"You must've had a fun night." Candy said.

"I did. We even stopped by the barrel factory, and I scared Bluster so bad, I think he'll have nightmares until July!" Diddy said, laughing as he thought back to what he did earlier that night.

"Oh man, I wish I could've seen that!" Candy said.

"You guys should've been there! I made Bluster scream like a girl!" Diddy said, still laughing in triumph!

DK and Candy burst out laughing when they heard that Bluster screamed like a girl. They really wished they had been there.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he's still scared when you show up to work tomorrow." DK said to Candy.

"If he's still shook up when I show up for work tomorrow, I think I'll die laughing." Candy said.

"We almost did!" Diddy said.

And then the movie ended.

"Well, that's the end of the movie." DK said as he took it out and put it away.

"See you later, DK." Candy said.

"I'll see you, my love." DK said, and he and Candy kissed each other before Candy left for the night.

"And how did you and Candy enjoy your evening?" Diddy asked DK.

"She and I comforted each other during the scary parts of the movies. I love her more than ever now!" DK said, letting out a lovesick sigh as he thought about the woman he loved.

Sounds like Halloween has been an exciting night for those on Kongo Bongo Island, except for Bluster, who's still hiding in his barrel factory, cowering like a poor, helpless, wimpy baby. Well, stay tuned to see what happens next!


	17. Thankful For Love

(A/N: At the end of that last chapter, DK found himself more in love with Candy. It's possible that he may be ready to ask the important question to her. Could this chapter be the one where he does it? Let's read and find out!)

It was late November on Kongo Bongo Island. The weather had gotten even colder, and it wouldn't be long before it snowed.

Today was Thanksgiving, and since DK was ruling the island, everyone gathered around at his house for the feast. And right now, everyone was sitting at the table, which was loaded with good things to eat.

DK was sitting at the head of the table. Diddy and Candy sat on either side of him, which made him pretty happy, since he was sitting between two of his favorite people.

"So, before we begin the feast, how about we say what we're thankful for?" DK said.

"Go first, DK. You're the ruler now." Cranky said.

"The ruler goes first?" DK asked.

"Yes. Now start!" Cranky said.

"Okay, okay!" DK said. He cleared his throat and said, "Well, I'm thankful for my family and friends, and that everyone here is safe."

"Yay!" everyone cheered.

"However, there's one other thing I'm especially thankful for, and it's you, Candy." DK said, turning his gaze to his lovely girlfrend.

"Aww, DK. Thank you." Candy said, smiling at DK.

"I'm most thankful for your love. So thankful, in fact, I was wondering..." DK started, and then he got down on one knee and produced a black velvet box, which he opened, revealing a heart-shaped diamond set in gold.

"Candy, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" DK asked.

Everyone at the table gasped, sure that Candy couldn't say no.

"DK, I don't know what to say..." Candy said.

"Will you...?" DK asked.

There was a long and awkward pause after that.

"...No." Candy said.

" _NO_?!" everyone shouted.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN _NO_?!" DK shouted, shocked out of his mind.

"You see, I met with Evelyn a few days ago, and she told me what _really_ happened during your relationship." Candy said.

"B-but... you know I'm not like that... like she'd tell you! You know me better than that!" DK said, trying hard not to break.

"Or so I thought! You almost had me fooled! But I'm not going to fall for that anymore. I'm thankful she told me when she did, or else I'd end up in a marriage that would fail miserably." Candy said.

"No..." DK said, and his heart started to break.

"NOOOOOOOO!" DK cried as his eyes opened and he sat up in bed!

DK suddenly realized that he wasn't sitting at the table with everyone else. He was in his dark bedroom, panting as he realized that he'd been having a nightmare. But it felt so real, since he still felt the pain in his heart, which was starting to die down now that he knew Candy hadn't broken up with him... yet.

Then he heard someone knocking on his bedroom door, which startled him.

"DK?! It's me, Diddy! What's the matter?!" Diddy's concerned voice called from the other side of the door.

"Diddy?" DK asked.

"Can I come in?" Diddy asked.

"Sure..." DK said.

The door opened, and Diddy bounded into the room, climbing up on to DK's bed.

"What happened, DK? I just woke up to get a glass of water, and I heard you scream! And I know that this has to be worse than the nightmares about Kaptain K. Rool and KAOS, 'cause they didn't make you scream like that!" Diddy said.

"That's because it _was_ worse than those nightmares!" DK said, clearly upset.

"Tell me about it." Diddy said, knowing that DK needed to let it out.

"I don't want to." DK said.

"DK, you know as well as I do that talking about it helps, and that you can tell me anything." Diddy said, putting his small hands on DK's shoulders.

"...Okay. I'll tell you." DK said, but he had to calm down first. And when he did, he said, "I dreamed about tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? If you're referring to Thanksgiving, you're off. Thanksgiving is today!" Diddy said.

"It is?" DK asked.

"It's after midnight." Diddy pointed out.

"Okay, so I dreamed about tonight! I'll tell you what happened. We were all sitting at the table, and we were going to say what we're thankful for. And I went first." DK said.

"What did you say you were thankful for?" Diddy asked.

"I was thankful for my family and friends, and that everyone was safe. But I was also thankful for Candy, and her love. Then I asked her to marry me." DK said.

"I think I see where this is going..." Diddy said, knowing what DK was going to say next.

"Candy said no, having heard _Evelyn's version_ of our relationship, and she didn't want to marry me! My heart was breaking!" DK burst out, more upset than he was when Candy broke up with him for telling Evelyn what Candy had given her for her birthday. (A/N: Read about that in "Suffering The Consequences".)

"Okay, I only expected the first three words, but the rest of it caught me off-guard! Geez, Evelyn needs to get a hobby that doesn't involve messing up what you and Candy have! Even if it was in your dreams." Diddy said.

"Even though I didn't get a ring for Candy yet, I've had thoughts of proposing! I'd like to ask her to marry me, but thanks to that stupid dream, I can't do it now! What if my dream comes true?!" DK said, still shaken by that dream, and could you blame him? His heart started to break before he woke up!

"Your dream won't come true. If you ask Candy to marry you, she'll say yes." Diddy assured DK.

"I don't know, Diddy. That dream felt too real, 'cause _my heart was breaking_! It's a little better now since that was a dream, but it still hurts." DK said.

"Don't let it get to you, DK. Even if Evelyn really does tell Candy _her_ version of your relationship, she wouldn't believe her for a second. You know that as well as I do." Diddy said.

But DK was still upset.

"At this rate, you're never going to get back to sleep." Diddy muttered to himself. Then he said, "I'll sleep in here with you until it's time to get up. Sound good?"

"Okay." DK said, although it seemed that nothing would help him feel better.

So Diddy crawled under the covers and snuggled close to DK, falling asleep almost instantly. Having Diddy that close made DK feel a little better, but he was still too scared to go back to sleep, 'cause he feared that if he did, he'd go back to that nightmare he was having, and he wouldn't wake up. He did, however, finally go to sleep, and to his great relief, he did not dream.

Some hours later, DK woke up, and the sun was up.

"DK, get up! It's daytime!" Diddy said, up and dressed for the day.

"Okay..." said DK as he got out of bed and put on his red silk necktie.

"Are you feeling better? You're wearing the red silk necktie." Diddy observed.

"No. I'm wearing the necktie because I love Candy and I want her to know it." DK said as he and Diddy sat down to breakfast, which was bananas on toast. Diddy had prepared it himself.

"Well, this is a breakfast I can be thankful for." DK said as he and Diddy began to eat.

"You need some cheering up. I'm trying to help in any way I can." Diddy said.

"And now we know why I'm thankful for my nephew." DK said to himself.

After breakfast, DK and Diddy quickly washed the breakfast dishes, and they were ready to watch the parade. But right when they were settled, there was a knock at the door.

"The guests are coming already?" DK asked as he got up and answered the door. Standing there were his parents, and Cranky.

"Mom! Dad! Cranky! Good to see you!" DK greeted his relatives.

"Grandma and Grandpa are here?!" Diddy asked himself as he got up and went over there. Sure enough, he saw his grandparents and great-grandfather.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Diddy cheered, and he ran to hug them.

"Diddy!" DK's mom cried out as she held out her arms. Diddy ran into them and hugged his grandma tightly.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again! Look at how much you've grown!" DK's mother exclaimed when they finished hugging.

"It's great to see you and Grandpa! And I haven't really grown at all." Diddy said.

Then everyone moved the happy reunion indoors, and DK's parents were helping with some preparations for the feast.

After the parade, everyone started to show up (except Bluster stays at the barrel factory and has Thanksgiving dinner with his mommy).

When Candy showed up, DK was glad to see her, but he was also unhappy.

"Are you alright, DK?" Candy asked, sensing that he seemed different.

"I didn't sleep well last night." DK replied.

"Oh, sorry to hear that, DK. I'm sure you'll sleep well tonight." Candy told him.

"Maybe I will." DK said.

When the food was ready and on the table, everyone gathered around and sat down. DK was sitting at the head of the table, with Diddy and Candy on either side of him, just like in his dream.

"Well, this is the part where we say what we're thankful for, isn't it?" DK asked.

"Yes, DK. And now that you're ruling Kongo Bongo Island, you go first." Cranky said.

"Oh, okay." DK said. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm thankful for my friends and family, and that everyone is safe from the bad guys, since they left. But I'm especially thankful for Candy, my true love."

"Aww, DK! I'm thankful for you, too, my little love-monkey!" Candy said, leaning over to give him a kiss. DK found that this wasn't like his dream, and not just because he didn't have a ring. Candy returned his love, and kissed him, which she didn't do in the dream.

After everyone else said what they were thankful for, they began to fill their plates so they could eat. Not surprisingly, the dinner was well-appreciated, like it was every year.

After everyone finished dinner, they were really full, so they went to watch T.V. as they digested. It took a while, but eventually, they recovered, and they were ready for dessert. Not only did they have the traditional pumpkin pie, Candy also brought some banana cream pies that she had made the other day, since Bluster gave her the week off.

"I told you I was thankful for you." DK said as he helped himself to a slice of banana cream pie.

"I made these mainly for you, and it's sweet that you're sharing my pies with everyone." Candy said.

"'Cause you have a gift when it comes to making banana cream pie! Everyone deserves to enjoy them, especially tonight, when we're supposed to be thankful." DK said.

"You're even sweeter than the pies!" Candy said as she pulled DK into a kiss.

DK forgot about the pain he felt in that dream. Candy obviously really loved him, but DK still needed time to think about proposing.

Well, DK felt ready to marry Candy, but that nightmare really messed him up! At least Candy really does love him. Stay tuned, and we'll see how DK feels in the next chapter!


	18. Merry Christmas

(A/N: Okay, so that last chapter didn't look too good for DK, since he had a bad dream that made him too afraid to think of asking Candy the big question. Let's get it started and find out what he does in this chapter!)

It was December on Kongo Bongo Island. The weather got cold enough for it to snow, and that's exactly what it did. The Kongs got a head-start on decorating, doing so the day after Thanksgiving, since the day after is a big shopping day, and the last thing they wanted to do was be caught in that mess. However, they didn't have to worry about bad guys causing trouble this month, since the villains gave up back in September.

At present, DK and Diddy were wrapping Christmas presents for family members (not each other) while watching "The Santa Clause".

"So DK, are you thinking about proposing to Candy for Christmas?" Diddy asked as he signed the 'to-&-from' tag on a present he'd wrapped.

"I don't know, little buddy..." DK said, wrapping another present.

"That stupid dream. It must have done a number on your confidence..." Diddy said in a frustrated voice as he placed the gift under the tree.

"It's not just the dream, Diddy. I'm over it now. But what if Candy isn't ready to get married when I ask her?" DK said.

"DK, I'm thinking that she'd be more than ready to marry you. You guys haven't had any problems with your relationship all year, mainly because your resolutions involved making it work. Besides, you were more than willing to help each other feel better when you were suffering through allergies." Diddy said.

DK still wasn't sure about proposing to Candy. Yes, he loved her more than he ever had, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of eternity with her, but did Candy feel the same way?

When the 2nd Saturday of the month came around, DK and Candy decided to spend the day together and get some Christmas shopping done. They even got ideas of what to get each other, which made DK happy, since the only thing he could think of getting her was a ring, but he didn't want to do that just yet. Not until he was absolutely certain.

After dropping the presents off at their homes, DK and Candy met up for dinner at Lanky's restaurant. When they got home again, they were so tired from the full day of activity that they decided to wrap the presents the following day.

The month passed quickly. Since everyone got the decorating done before December arrived, they were busy doing other things, like baking, shopping, wrapping presents, or watching their favorite Christmas specials and movies. And everyone would count down the days left until Christmas. But the ones who had the most fun counting down the days were Dixie and her relatives.

"And how is it more fun for your family?" Diddy asked Dixie when he visited her on December 15th.

"Observe." Dixie said, approaching something sitting on the coffee table. It looked like some kind of Christmas display, with a Christmas tree, and a snowman was beside it. Dixie moved the switch to 'on', and the lights on the Christmas tree started blinking as a masculine voice came from the display, saying, "Each day, place an ornament on this tree to know how many days there are left till Christmas." A chime was heard, and the voice said, "It's great to be a snowman! And you know, there are only 10 days until Christmas!" Then they heard sleigh bells ringing, followed by the chime from before.

"What happens when it really is Christmas?" Diddy asked.

"The star on top of the tree lights up, and the snowman explains that there's no more days left, because it's Christmas at last. Then he wishes everyone a merry Christmas." Dixie explained.

(A/N: It's based off of the "Countdown to Christmas" that I used to have.)

"Sounds cool!" said Diddy.

"It is." Dixie replied.

On December 20th, Candy went to DK's treehouse to hang out and watch a Christmas movie with DK.

"Bluster gave me my Christmas bonus today, and now I'm off until the week after New Year's." Candy told DK at one point.

"That's cool! Perhaps we can spend more time together before Christmas Eve?" DK suggested.

"Yeah. But I've still got some Christmas shopping left to do, and I needed my bonus to afford it all." Candy said.

"You will have it done before Christmas Eve, right?" DK asked.

"Of course. I'd rather not be out amongst the last-minute shoppers." Candy said.

"That's good." DK said.

The next morning, DK went out into the living room to look at the tree, but he noticed something different about it.

"Diddy, little buddy, come out here!" DK called.

"What is it, DK?" Diddy asked, hurrying into the living room.

"Notice something different about our Christmas tree?" DK asked.

Diddy looked at the tree, and he spotted the difference about a minute later. There was a new ornament on one of the middle branches at the front. The ornament was a red, sphere-shaped ornament (made of glass), and on the front of it was the 'DK' logo, in yellow, much like DK's tie.

"Where did that come from?" Diddy said.

"You didn't put it there?" DK asked.

"I wish I could take credit for it, but I didn't put it there. I never saw it before." Diddy said.

"I wonder where it came from?" DK said.

"Maybe we'll find out in time." Diddy said.

On Saturday night, Candy went to DK's to watch "White Christmas", and she brought some Christmas cookies for them to enjoy as they watched the movie.

At one point, DK told Candy about the ornament.

"There's no telling how long it's been there, but I noticed it on Thursday. And it's not one of ours, 'cause I didn't have it when we decorated the tree." DK said.

"Do you like it?" Candy asked.

"I love it, but I wish I knew where it..." DK started, but he trailed off as he realized what Candy just said. He said, "It's from you, isn't it?"

"Yep!" Candy grinned.

"When did you put it there?" DK asked.

"Remember when you left the room for a moment on Wednesday? I slipped it on the tree and waited to see how long it would take before you noticed it. Since you didn't spot it that night, I figured you'd see it sooner or later. Plus, you know that the rule is that ornaments are to be given before Christmas so we have more time to enjoy the sight of them on the tree." Candy said.

"Where did you get it?" DK asked.

"I made it. I bought these round, clear glass ornaments, and I decided to turn one of them into an ornament for your tree. I worked on it in my free time, and I finished it Tuesday." Candy said.

"You made it? Well, that makes it even better than I thought." DK said.

"Thanks, DK." Candy smiled.

The next day was Christmas Eve, which meant that the Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights would be that night.

"Ooh, I can't wait!" Diddy said.

"I know! If only this wasn't the longest day of the year..." DK said.

"Oh right. This is gonna be a long day..." Diddy moaned.

"We've gotta find ways to kill time." DK said.

They did whatever they could. They watched T.V., played video games, played outside, and even read some books (they were really desperate). Sure, time was flying, but whenever they looked at the clock, it seemed to be in the same spot, even though it wasn't broken. It was just a very long day.

But when they saw the sun going down...

"All right! It's almost time!" Diddy said.

"We can hold out just a little longer..." DK said.

When the stars came out and the Christmas lights came on, everyone showed up with presents for friends (family presents weren't opened until Christmas morning).

"Dixie, you coming? It's almost time for the fireworks!" Diddy said, seeing his girlfriend standing by the Christmas tree while everyone was going outside.

"Yeah. Just go out and wait for me. I'll join you in a minute." Dixie said.

"Okay." said Diddy.

When she was the only one left in the house, Dixie took an ornament out of her coat. It was a red, star-shaped ornament with two yellow stars on both sides. She gave the ornament a kiss before she placed it on a low branch at the front of the tree, where Diddy would be sure to see it when looking at the gifts under the tree.

Then Dixie joined everyone else outside, standing close to Diddy.

"You're just in time. The fireworks are going to begin." Diddy told her.

The fireworks show this year was amazing, 'cause the fireworks were all shaped like things that were associated with Christmas, like stars, bells, snowflakes, angels, Christmas trees, poinsettias, and candy canes, and they were all in Christmas colors, like red, white, green, blue, silver, and gold.

It was quite a sight, and it never failed to impress those who got to see it. The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights was far from disappointing.

The fireworks display lasted for a half-hour, and everyone enjoyed it like they always did, although the ending caught everyone off-guard. Instead of lots of fireworks going off at once, two fireworks lit up the night sky in red and green, and they read a message. The message was, "Merry Christmas!"

"WOW!" everyone said, figuring that this was the finale. It was short and sweet, unlike the finales they saw during the displays in the past, but it was still a nice one.

Now that the show was over, everyone went into DK's treehouse to enjoy some Christmas cookies and hot cocoa, and to exchange gifts.

Diddy, Dixie, and Tiny were in charge of handing out the presents. They approached the tree, and Diddy happened to catch a glimpse of something hanging on one of the low branches. It was a star-shaped ornament that matched his tank-top.

"What in the world? Where did that come from?" Diddy asked.

"What is it, Diddy?" Dixie asked as Tiny checked the 'to-&-from' tag on a present before handing it to the one it was for.

"This ornament. It wasn't here earlier." Diddy pointed out, showing Dixie the ornament.

"Oh, that one. Candy told me that she was making an ornament for DK, and I wanted to make one for you, and I made it by painting a clear, star-shaped ornament made of glass. And before you ask, that's only part of your present." Dixie said.

"Am I going to like my present more than the ornament?" Diddy asked.

"You'll find out when you open it." Dixie replied.

"Which you won't get to do unless you help me hand out the gifts." Tiny said.

"Oh, right." Diddy said, remembering that he and Dixie were supposed to help Tiny.

Then Diddy and Dixie started helping Tiny hand out the presents.

When all the presents were handed out, DK said, "Okay, I think the kids should each open a present first, and then we go next."

"Kiddy can start, and then Tiny." Diddy said.

"Then you can go next." Dixie said.

"Me? I was going to suggest that you go after Kiddy and Tiny, since you're related to them." Diddy suggested.

"Yeah, but I still think you should go next." Dixie said.

"I insist." Diddy said.

"Okay, if you insist." Dixie said.

They all opened a present, and then the grown-ups all had to decide the order in which they opened their presents.

"Well, DK should go first, since he's the ruler." Candy said.

"Okay, Candy. You'll go after me, since I love you so much." DK said, sharing a kiss with the woman he loved.

"Then I go, right?" Bluster asked.

"Actually, you're going last." DK said.

"What?! Why do I have to go last?!" Bluster asked, shocked.

"'Cause you're usually a jerk." DK answered.

"(frustrated growl) Fine." said Bluster.

After the rest of the order was decided, the grown-ups each opened a present.

Once the grown-ups had finished opening a present, it was back to the kids, and the pattern continued until all the presents were opened.

"Diddy, I wasn't expecting you to get me a plushie of Clarice. It's as though you knew I was getting you a plushie of Rudolph." Dixie said as she hugged her Clarice plushie.

"I didn't know. But I do know that you like Clarice." Diddy replied, holding his Rudolph plushie.

"True. I still can't thank you enough. In fact..." Dixie said. She moved closer to Diddy and kissed him on the lips, making him blush so bad that he was putting his tank-top and hat to shame. But that didn't stop him from returning the kiss.

DK and Candy were also pleased with the gifts they gave each other. DK had given Candy a box of white chocolate truffles (which they decided to share on Wednesday). Candy had given DK some movies he liked that came out on DVD in time for Christmas.

Before everyone went home, there was still one more thing left. Everyone gathered 'round as DK began to read "The Night Before Christmas". Cranky had done it for years, but now that DK was ruling Kongo Bongo Island, he had to do it. He didn't mind, since he enjoyed the poem as much as everyone else did.

However, Cranky did seem a little worried early on in the poem. When he and DK looked up the poem online, he was more than surprised that on every site he checked, one of the lines went a little differently. He never learned the poem with the line like that before, but he continued to read the poem as he'd learned it. And he remembered the time he thought DK was about to bring that up as he read.

 **(Flashback...)**

 _Cranky was reading "The Night Before Christmas" to everyone on Christmas Eve._

 _"_ And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter's nap _." Cranky read._

 _"Uhh... Cranky..." DK interrupted._

 _Thinking that DK was trying to tell him that that last line has different words now, Cranky yelled, "I_ know _that line has different words nowadays, but you know what?! I don't care!_ This _is the way I heard it when I was a child,_ this _is the way I read it when I started my family, so_ this _is the way I'm going to read it! And if you don't like it, suck it up!"_

 _"Actually, I was going to say that even though that line seems to have different words now, I prefer it the way you learned it." DK said._

 _"Oh..." Cranky said, realizing that DK wasn't trying to correct him with the wrong words. He quickly added, "Thank you."_

 _"You're welcome." DK said._

 _Then Cranky went back to reading the poem as if he'd never been interrupted._

 **(End flashback...)**

It made Cranky happy when DK read the poem as he'd learned it and read it for many years. DK had been telling the truth all along, something that helped with his status as a ruler.

" _But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight_..." DK read, and everyone knew what was coming next.

" _Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night_!" everyone said with DK, glad that Christmas was finally here.

"Now we've got to get to sleep so Santa will come. Merry Christmas, everyone!" DK said as everyone stood up and prepared to head home.

"I'll try and see you the day after Christmas, Dixie." Diddy said to Dixie as they hugged and kissed each other before Dixie left with her family.

"Okay, Diddy. I love you." Dixie replied.

"I love you, too." Diddy said.

"I'll see you again on Wednesday, DK." Candy promised DK.

"Looking forward to spending time with you." DK said, pulling Candy into a kiss. They stayed like that for several minutes before parting.

"Merry Christmas, DK!" Candy called out as she left.

"Merry Christmas, my love!" DK called back with a lovesick expression on his face, knowing that everything was gonna be alright.

"What are you thinking about?" Diddy asked, noticing the expression on his uncle's face.

"I'm ready. I'll get a ring, and I'll ask her the question on New Year's Eve." DK replied.

So now DK is certain that Candy will not turn him down if he proposes. Will he be right? Stay tuned and find out in the next chapter!


	19. New Year's Proposal

(A/N: At the end of that last chapter, DK clearly stated that he was going to propose. Knowing that you want to see them together, I'll get this chapter started on the double!)

It was once again New Year's Eve on Kongo Bongo Island. Christmas had been fun and exciting while it lasted, but now it was over. However, New Year's Eve was always exciting. But this year, it was pretty special, since today was a year since DK officially started ruling, and he planned to ask Candy the big question.

The celebration was pretty much the same, with everyone gathered at DK's house, doing their best to stay awake for the arrival of the new year, and they were all having fun.

DK and Candy stayed close to each other through the night, more in love than they'd ever been. Sometime after 11:00, DK suggested to Candy that they find a quiet place where they could sit and talk.

"Not outside this time?" Candy asked, referring to how they went outside to talk the previous year.

"Too dark." DK replied.

They went to a corner of the room where the couch was. That area was quiet enough for them to talk.

"Well, it's been a year since you officially began ruling, and a year since we agreed to work on our relationship." Candy pointed out.

"I think we did a good job working on our relationship. What do you think?" DK asked.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, DK. This year, our relationship has been better than it's ever been." Candy smiled.

"And I found myself falling more and more in love with you. I fell so far that I'm lost in love." DK said.

"I feel the same way, DK." Candy replied, and they shared a kiss.

When they broke apart, they started talking about the year that was almost over. It seemed like a short time ago they'd celebrated the arrival of this year.

After a good while, DK saw that it was close to midnight. It was time.

"Candy, did I tell you my resolution for the new year?" DK asked, nervousness creeping into his voice.

"No. I didn't tell you mine yet, either. But you can go first." Candy told him.

DK took a deep breath and produced a black velvet box. He opened the box, revealing a heart-shaped diamond set in gold. Candy's hand flew to her mouth in surprise, knowing that DK was going to pop the question.

"Candy, I've decided to get a head-start on my resolution, which is... to have you as my wife. I know that I'm not perfect, and I know it's a bit much to imagine being the wife of the ruler of Kongo Bongo Island. I also know that I can't imagine my life without you. You're my better half, and I promise that I'll love you more with each passing day. So now I must ask you... Candy, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" DK asked, trying hard to keep confidence in his voice.

"Oh, DK..." Candy said, touched by his speech. They were silent for a moment as Candy tried to figure out how to word her answer.

"DK, my resolution is... to let you know that marrying you is an honor I'm more than happy to accept." Candy finally replied.

"You mean..." DK asked, more than certain that Candy had just accepted his proposal.

"I'd love to marry you!" Candy said, erasing DK's worry for good.

"YES!" DK cheered as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it on Candy's finger.

"It's perfect!" Candy said as she admired her ring.

"Because you're wearing it." DK said.

"You know, you didn't react with happiness when I told you I'd love to marry you the first time 'round." Candy pointed out.

"I felt like the marriage was arranged and forced, although I really did want to marry you. I had to get used to the idea first, and we needed to strengthen our relationship more, since it wasn't doing too well. If we married with a weak relationship, our marriage wouldn't last." DK said.

"You're right. I did ask you out of nowhere, so of course you were going to need to think about whether or not you wanted to, and if it was even okay for you to marry me. Then we rushed it by having the wedding the very next day." Candy said.

"But we can take our time and plan our wedding, right?" DK asked.

"Yes. Rushing it was a lousy idea." Candy said.

"Agreed." DK said. Then he said, "I love you so much, Candy."

"I love you too, DK." Candy replied.

Then DK and Candy shared a passionate kiss, once again oblivious to the others, who were counting down the final seconds.

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!" everyone shouted as confetti rained down on them. But this time, the confetti disappeared when it got close to the ground.

Before long, someone noticed something odd about the confetti, and that someone was DK's nephew, Diddy Kong.

"Hey! Look at this!" Diddy said to the other Kongs, who were about to start singing "Auld Lang Syne".

"What's the matter, Diddy?" Dixie asked, moving closer to her boyfriend.

"Look closely at the confetti I caught." Diddy told her.

Everyone went over for a closer look at pieces of confetti that rested in Diddy's hand. The pieces were white and gold, and heart-shaped. They'd never seen confetti shaped like that.

"Why did it rain heart-shaped confetti?" everyone wondered aloud.

Unable to come up with a good enough reason why, they decided to do the next best thing: ask DK!

They quickly spotted DK in a corner of the room, kissing with Candy.

As he noticed that everyone else was approaching, he and Candy stopped kissing.

"Good news, everyone! Candy and I are engaged!" DK said, and Candy showed them her ring.

"Well, I guess that answers our question." Cranky said.

"What question?" Candy asked.

"We were about to ask about the confetti." Chunky said.

"What about the confetti?" DK and Candy asked.

"Look." Diddy told the couple as he showed the pieces of confetti he'd caught.

"Well, I'm sure the colors are normal, but the pieces appear to be heart-shaped. I've never seen heart-shaped confetti before." DK said.

"Perhaps it's because of our engagement." Candy said.

"That could've been what caused it. You got engaged as the New Year was about to begin." Cranky said.

DK and Candy smiled at each other in a lovestruck manner, and they kissed again as everyone (except Bluster, who left) began celebrating the fact that their ruler was now engaged to be married. They celebrated this until 3:00 in the morning, and that's when they were too tired to go home, and they all collapsed from exhaustion on DK's living room floor. As for DK and Candy, they fell asleep on the couch, holding each other close the entire time.

The End

Oh, don't worry! DK and Candy will be getting married in a future story! And this time, DK and Candy will be pronounced husband and wife (if Bluster can keep his big mouth shut). Hope you enjoyed this story!


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